The president of the Boston University Student Union last night vowed to step up his efforts in the spring to act on students’ concerns, blaming a quiet semester on the need to “research” issues.
“We’ve been focused on research [this semester] because we didn’t inherit a lot of initiatives to follow up on from last year,” President Adil Yunis said at the final General Assembly meeting of the semester at the School of Management. “Next semester is going to be less focused on research and more focused on implementation and advocacy.”
Yunis, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, has repeatedly claimed the Union is an “effective advocacy group” despite criticism that it has advocated few issues to the BU administration this semester.
In an effort to inspire student involvement, Union spokesman Brandon Epstein proposed a series of advertisements that display old issues of The Daily Free Press with pictures and stories of students protesting the Guest Policy and the school’s refusal to let the Ramones play on campus in the 1980s.
While met with much support, Epstein’s ads were rebuffed by some GA members who said they create an anti-administration image, whereas the Union should be aligned with the BU administration.
With respect to the ongoing issue of Brookline police targeting BU students, Off-Campus Student Liaison Jess Colton presented a list of volunteer opportunities for students living in Brookline, stressing that community involvement is a way for students to reach out to permanent residents who are still upset by the behavior of some.
“Volunteering can bridge the gap [between students and permanent residents] to have students more integrated in their communities,” the CAS junior said. “This can lead to a better off-campus experience.”
City Affairs Director Jesse Kramer said he is still working to improve relations with Brookline residents by creating a task force of BU students, permanent residents and Brookline Police Department representatives.
In other Union business, a CAS academic advising committee comprised of students and administrators will begin meeting next semester, announced Academic Affairs Committee chairman Matt Seidel.
The Academic Affairs Committee will also draft a report comparing BU’s academic advising to that of its counterparts.
“This proposal might hurt to the administration, but it’s also the truth,” said Seidel, a CAS sophomore. “The purpose of the report is to say what we need to fix. We hope to use [it] as a base for discussions.”
Illegal filesharing was addressed by Technology Committee chairman Jonathan Pasquale, who said his committee created a filesharing webpage that should be available next semester. The page will provide information about consequences for students who are caught illegally downloading, as well as steps for students to take if they are accused.
The Residence Life Committee has also been working to improve the Back Door website, which provides students with pictures of and candid information about campus residences and areas. The committee also hopes to launch an initiative that would allow students to rent air mattresses from the Office of Residence Life.
The Union also approved a proposal to create a Student Organizations Committee that will work to enhance all activities carried out by student groups by setting standards for the use of the Undergraduate Student Fee. The group will also find storage space for student groups and clarify paperwork that groups must complete.
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