USG senate talks referenda reform, diversity efforts

The Undergraduate Student Government senate introduced the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life’s work for diversity and inclusion during its weekly meeting on Sunday.

Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun, who recently joined the University from Skidmore College, joined the meeting and explained that she and her colleagues are paying particular attention to the role that diversity, equity and inclusion plays in that vision.

Among her priorities as vice president for campus life are concerns about safety and a sense of belonging, as well as how to make sure students can have fun, she added.

Coming to the University from a different institution, Calhoun said she noticed the University could do more for everyone to understand how the fact that we are a diverse community fundamentally changes who we are.

“I used to think about my diversity work and I’d label it ‘them,’ ‘us,’ and ‘me,’” Calhoun explained. “ ‘Us’ is the inclusion part. How do we reimagine who we are, and how does it change who I am. The gap for Princeton, the ‘them’ you got down. It’s the ‘us’ and the ‘me.’ ”

The Office of the Vice President of Campus Life is currently working to “influence, impact and change for the better” the real life experience for students on campus, Calhoun said.

“I think about this being the best place for you to be. I think about how we are intentional in our work so Princeton students can have a great experience,” Calhoun explained. “What I hope is that together with my colleagues in campus life, we can at least figure out pathways for success for your personal development. Whether you choose those pathways is up to you.”

Outgoing chief elections manager Grant Golub ’17 went over, but the Senate did not vote on, proposals for reform of the referenda process, including raising the signature count necessary to petition, as well as adjusting the timing of referenda to coincide with the USG election cycle.

Golub is a former staff writer and senior copy editor for The Daily Princetonian.

Sung Won Chang ’18 was appointed as the new chief elections manager at the USG meeting last week.

U-Councilors Ethan Marcus ’18 and Miranda Rosen ’18 raised concerns that when initially announcing a referendum has been called for, the email first sent to students might make it very easy to propose and agree with something and much harder for someone to organize a group to oppose it.

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“We’re not trying to hyper-regulate,” USG president Ella Cheng ’16 added, noting that the proposed changes to rules were based on an analysis of election rules at multiple peer institutions, including Harvard and Yale.

Cheng is a former staff writer for the ‘Prince.’

Regarding her meeting with University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 this past week, Cheng noted that Eisgruber encouraged discussions about possible changes to the academic calendar.

“It’s a very long-term conversation,” Cheng explained. “But hopefully we’ll get some traction this semester.”

During the meeting the senate members voted to approve new members to the University Student Life Committee, Mental Health Initiatives Board, Social Committee and Academics Committee.

For committee updates, University Student Life Committee chair Kathy Chow ’17 said that pursuing many different projects was not intended to step on the toes of student initiatives that might already be happening.

Social committee chair Simon Wu ’17 added that his committee is trying to fill niches that aren’t already filled by groups like Princeton Student Events Committee or the Alcohol Initiative.

The senate additionally approved a $3,000 Projects Board funding request for Fuzzy Dice Improv group’s show. Fuzzy Dice is bringing in Upright Citizens Brigade, a professional comedy group, for an improv workshop and performance.