The Boston University Student Government Senate voted Monday night against building a charging station in the George Sherman Union and passed a proposal to grant $2,500 to a student team to construct a new “reflection garden.”
The proposal, which was formed due to student feedback, asked for approximately $6,350 to establish the station and iPad kiosk, said Director of Advocacy Erin Karigan, a junior in the College of Communication.
“From a lot of the work that [the Department of] Outreach has done recently, what our students are really looking for is kind of some tangible things that they can really use from Student Government, and we thought one of the best ways to deliver that to them would be through a charging station in the GSU,” she said.
Members of the Departments of Advocacy and Outreach presented the proposal, which called for one charging station with the intent on including a second charging station at some point in the future.
The charging station, called “The Atlas,” contains PIN number-operated lockers and Android, iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 cords, Karigan said. The proposal included the iPad kiosk and charging station within the same proposal, but the Senate moved to vote on each separate part of the plan.
The iPad kiosk was intended to display one webpage to gauge student’s opinion and feedback from Student Government. The kiosk is intended to be part of an increase in Student Government outreach, along with text message polling, said SG President Richa Kaul, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Vice President of Finance Joshua Mosby, a sophomore in CAS, said the project would take a considerable amount from the approximately $20,000 remaining budget SG has for the rest of the school year.
Executive Vice President Joe Ferme said he wanted voters to consider the high cost and necessity of the machines.
“It’s a fantastic idea, but I really want you to think long and hard about if you yourself would really use it because if not, then it might be hard to judge if other students were to use it and how successful it would be,” said Ferme, a senior in CAS.
All members of Senate, with the exception of two senators who abstained, voted against the charging station grant proposal.
Prior to the Senate voting against this proposal, the Senate passed a proposal asking for approximately $2,300 to begin stage one of a two-stage project to build a “Reflection Garden,” which will be located next to the Alan and Sherry Leventhal Center at 233 Bay State Road.
Team Synerg-E, a team formed through a class at the School of Management, presented the proposal and worked with the BU Environmental Student Organization, Sustainability@BU and BU Facilities.
The Reflection Garden will include perennials, a stone walking path and a teak bench, similar to the ones found throughout campus, and “bring more of a natural environment to an urban setting,” said Team Synerg-E member Stephen Moulton, a senior in SMG.
“The initial phase, which we are here for tonight, is the initial set of the paving, the initial perennials, including tall grasses and what-not, and the bench with a plaque that says ‘funded by Student Government at BU,” he said.
A group of volunteers will begin construction on the garden on Friday, Moulton said.
Team Synerg-E member Rachel Geicke, a senior in the School of Hospitality Administration, spoke on the advantages of the location and said the Garden serves as a collaboration effort.
“It will be specifically showcased to potential students and parents who come to BU on campus tours given its proximity to the Admissions Reception [Center],” she said. “It will showcase the collaboration amongst student groups and the support of Student Government and the support of BU resources such as Facilities Management and Sustainability.”
The Senate voted in favor of the proposal with only 13 senators opposing the measure.
In other SG business, the Senate addressed increasing lighting on Bay State Road in response to recent muggings, resources for off-campus students, a possible study space in West Campus Dining Hall after closing and a SG lawyer on retainer.
Several attendees said they look forward to the changes the Garden will bring to the university.
Nicole Love, a representative from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee from the women’s lightweight rowing team, said the garden would improve the area.
“We drive by that [area] every other weekend, and it is not very nice to see,” said Love, a sophomore in the College of General Studies. “If it is sustainable, than that’s even better, and it is nice to get Student Government something that is lasting, so I’m really for it.”
SMG Senator Courtney Bold said student involvement was a great aspect of the Harden proposal.
“It was great, really great to see students come forward with proposals,” said Bold, a junior in SMG. “That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to fund student initiatives.”
