USG discusses voter registration results, diversity initiatives

The University Student Government discussed results from Friday's Voter Registration Day event in their weekly meeting on Sunday.

The event was jointly organized by several campus groups, including Princeton Votes and the Whig-Cliosophic Society. The groups set up various booths across campus where students could register as voters in New Jersey or their home state.

Overall, there were 102 new New Jersey voters and 85 absentee ballots recorded. These numbers are in addition to the registrations at a similar event Princeton Votes held at the Nassau Street Sampler earlier in the year. For an additional metric, USG president Aleksandra Czulak '17 said that the Princeton Votes Snapchat filter received over 2300 views.

Campus and Community Affair Chair Michael Cox '17 stated that Princeton Votes has historically served an important role in promoting voter awareness among students.

Czulak added that Princeton Votes will continue to host events promoting voter registration.

The USG is also attempting to collect data on current USG members and applicants. Czulak explained that the demographic information to be collected would include race, major, and gender.

U-Councilor Lucas Ramos ’19 presented an update on the September meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community. He stated that the meeting included various initiatives to promote diversity in the campus.

Ramos explained that the CPUC had created a special committee on naming, of which several USG representatives are members. The new committee will address the potential renaming of Wilson College, which has recently come under scrutiny for its namesake’s racist views.

“They are doing data research with the Wilson Legacy Project to see how to best rename the college without causing derision on campus,” said Ramos.

Along with the naming committee, Ramos described several upcoming changes to the Carl A. Fields Center, which currently supports affinity rooms for Black, Latinx, Asian/Asian American, and Arab/Middle-Eastern students. The renovations will be conducted by Isometric Studio, a “visual identity and graphic design consultancy,” according to its website, and will focus on expanding the affinity rooms and floor space on the second study.

The CPUC meeting also addressed the development of a more accessible Ph.D. pipeline, to be launched in the fall of 2018.

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“It’s focused on general applicant pool diversity, because the current applicant pool is not very diverse,” said Ramos.

Additional initiatives mentioned by Ramos include the addition of 15 new courses on cultural identity and diversity, as well as the changing of Princeton’s informal motto to “Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity.”

Czulak noted the lack of student attendance and participation in the meeting. She said that she hoped to see more non-councilors in the future.

“It is a really good opportunity for students to push administrators on issues and ask questions,” added USG vice president Jeremy Burton ’18.

Czulak also stated that the USG is hoping to distribute wellness information across campus. The project would allow various student and University groups to collaborate and discuss what information would be important and how it would be shared.