StuGov meets with Student Activities director, confirms BIG representatives

Boston University Student Government spoke with Student Activities Director John Battaglino and confirmed two representatives for the Boston Intercollegiate Government during its meeting Monday.

The meeting marked the first time a dean attended a StuGov meeting this year. Prior to the meeting, senators sent Battaligno a list of questions concerning Learn from Anywhere, Credit No-Credit policies and consequences for students caught partying.

Battaligno said he could not answer questions regarding such academic policies, but that he intends to organize a Nov. 19 panel in which his colleagues can better address these areas of concern.

Battaglino said disciplinary crackdowns on students who do not follow University guidance for COVID-19, such as capacity limits on gatherings, is necessary.

“To be a member of the Boston University community, you’ve got to participate in and you’ve got to commit to those requirements,” Battaligno said during Monday’s meeting. “If you can, you’re welcome in the community. If you can’t, you’re not.”

At-Large Sen. Ezra Bale, a senior in the College of Communication, said in an interview after the meeting though StuGov didn’t get answers to all of its questions, which was “disappointing,” he was happy Battaligno came. 

“He has laid out a lot of the groundwork that we need,” Bale said. “I’m hopeful [the Nov. 19 panel] will give us an opportunity to truly voice our concerns to the administration in a way that’s meaningful.”

The meeting continued with brief Cabinet updates. City Affairs Director Ana Obergfell, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said VoteBIG registered 300 students to vote, and Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences won its voter registration challenge.

For its next project, Obergfell said City Affairs is putting together an informal BU student panel about college applications for Boston-area high schoolers.

StuGov Executive Vice President David Joseph, a junior in CAS, said BU now holds a month-long license with TEDx, following a TEDxBU event Oct. 21 that saw more than 200 registrations. The Department of Events is also planning to hold a lights show using drones, inspired by a similar event hosted by Northeastern University.

Department of Environmental Affairs Deputy Director Dan Kelly, a senior in the Pardee School of Global Studies, updated students on Sustainable Business Week, which will occur throughout the week of Nov. 16 and offer students a 10- to 15-percent discount at promoted businesses. 

He said a major facet of the week is expressing to students the importance of conscientious gift-giving.

“You don’t need to shop in order to be sustainable, but inevitably we’re entering the holiday season,” Kelly said. “A lot of shopping will occur, and we want students to understand that where they spend their money is important.”

The evening concluded with the confirmation of Vice President of Internal Affairs Nyah Jordan and Katherine Sabido, internal liaison for City Affairs, as BU’s BIG representatives.

Created in 2003, BIG was recently revived by various colleges across the Boston area. Each college is granted two representatives, although one does not have to be a representative to participate in BIG’s committees. 

Jordan, a junior in COM, was part of the original BIG revamp, and said it was one of her primary time commitments. She said she hopes to collaborate with BIG to implement a cross-college therapy program and LGBTQ ally panels, among other initiatives.

Sabido, a junior in COM and CAS, said she served on three of four committees in BIG, adding that her internship with City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George has assisted her with BIG. She said she spoke with Essaibi-George about instituting Narcan training — overdose prevention training — at universities like BU, as well as increasing mental health initiatives.

Sabido said she collaborated with Jordan on StuGov’s mental health initiatives, like a mental health survey sent to BIG schools asking students what resources they hope to see.

She said she is also working to develop a mentorship program between Boston Public Schools and BIG that will aid high school students in the college application process. 

Jordan and Sabido were confirmed as BIG representatives with 39 and 34 votes, respectively, of 43 senators present.