The SGA has received numerous complaints from students about the lack of wireless access recently in the library, and we have, in fact, contacted the IT Department (we spoke with Bryan Adams, the Director of Systems and Networking) and they suggest that students open a help desk ticket whenever any incidents occur, because without them, there is no way to pinpoint the problem and resolve the issue. They have not noticed anything wrong with the system, and therefore need the specifics and details in order to be able to address any concerns. The phone number to call is 860-297-2007, or pay a visit to the Computing Center on Level B of the library.

Academic Affairs
Will Yale
Eamon Welch
Lorenzo Sewanan
*Mark LaVoie
Max Werner

Campus Climate
Natalia Kolakowska
Orko Momin
Adam Katcher
Kimberly Lewis
*Max Wener

Campus Infrastructure
*Lorenzo Sewanan
Mark LaVoie
Rebecca Herrigel
Peter Walters

ERC
Joe Melillo
James Kukstis
Mike Besson
Adam Katcher
*Will Yale

Student Life
Fabio Botarelli
Andrea Wise
Tim Stiefler
Will Hancock
Samuel Grossman

*Indicates secondary committee

First and foremost, welcome to Trinity! I am sure that by now, you have heard from countless people that you have yet to meet about forms to fill out, and opportunities that await you come August. I am writing to you, however, about a more somber topic that I hope you will take very seriously.

Safety is a very important issue at Trinity, and yet often times, we forget that ultimately it is our responsibility to make smart decisions and to watch out for ourselves. Sexual assault and rape are unfortunately very prevalent on college campuses. Anyone can be the victim of sexual assault, regardless of intelligence, sex or gender identity, race, ethnicity, or size; and prior consensual sexual relationships do not automatically constitute consent. Considering the prevalence of substance-related sexual assault, it is also important to remember that, under Connecticut law, a person inebriated by drugs or alcohol is not legally capable of consenting to sexual contact.

I do not want to frighten you, but I do want to empower you to join our efforts in preventing sexual assault at Trinity.  This past year, PEACH (Peer Educators Advocating Campus Health) and SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) sponsored a movement on campus called the Pledge for Action. Over 1,000 students have already signed the Pledge, which means that they pledge to work to prevent sexual assault, to support victims, and to ask for consent before sexual contact. We want to make Trinity College a safer environment by being open about the issue, by encouraging victims to report incidents, and by holding perpetrators responsible for their actions.

You can also exercise common sense to prevent becoming the victim of a sexual assault, especially should you choose to consume alcohol. The advice that I can offer is no different than what your parents have undoubtedly told you your entire life: don’t take opened drinks from people at parties (most rapes occur by acquaintances, so only accept unopened drinks, even if you recognize the person), don’t leave your drink unattended, and work the buddy system-pick a friend that you intend to stay with all night long and watch out for each other. If you decide to go off somewhere else, make sure to tell someone reliable where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and keep your cell phone on you. Having said all of that, the only person at fault for a sexual assault is the one who does not receive consent, so please don’t guilt yourself out of reporting an assault because you feel that you “had it coming”. Men are the statistical majority of perpetrators in sexual assaults, and as such, hold a lot of power in helping to stop sexual assaults. Guys, be man enough to reject the misogynist elements of our culture that promote sexual degradation and abuse of women (for example, look up the lyrics to Crank Dat Soulja Boy), talk to your friends about what it would be like to either be the victim of rape, or to viewed as a potential rapist, and always ask for consent.

Trinity has a wealth of resources devoted not only to supporting victims of sexual assault, but to preventing its occurrence. Trinity also has a policy of treating the victim of an assault first, so all reports are confidential and you are in control of what action, if any, you want to take against your perpetrator. If you would like to talk to anyone, you can contact either Laura Lockwood (Director of the Women & Gender Resource Action Center), or Martha Burke O’Brien (Director of the Health Center). Laura and Martha are both incredibly approachable and knowledgeable people. You can also contact any member of SART (www. trincoll.edu/StudentLife/HealthSafety/CampusSafety/SART) or the Student Government Association Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Committee.

College is a very exciting time, so go out and have fun-but stay safe, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about anything. I can’t wait to see all of your new faces on campus in the fall!

Sincerely,

Andrea Wise ‘11
Chair, SGA Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Committee

The problem is that the boiler in the basement of Jones has cracked. Maintenance crews have attempted to patch the boiler with only limited success. The boiler is currently not working and must be completely replaced. The school has brought in a temporary boiler (this is the large covered trailer currently outside of Jones) that should be up and running tonight. It would have been up and running earlier but installation crews have been experiencing difficulties. A new boiler is in transit and, with some luck, will be here tomorrow.

We will continue to stay in close contact with the Dean of Students and the Director of Facilities. If more information becomes available we will be posting it here.

Thank you for continuing to update us with the problems you are experiencing.

Nathan Kirschbaum
SGA President

Congratulations to the following winners:

SGA President: Nathan Kirschbaum
Executive Vice-President: Bryce Blum
Vice-President Multicultural Affairs Council: Ibrahim Diallo
Vice-President Finance: Whitney Merrill
Senators-At-Large:
Jordyn Sims
Krystal Ramirez
Daniel Taylor
Peter Walters
James Kukstis

Dear Students,

Lottery numbers will be available on March 19th. The room rating appeal process will commence on that day as well. If you feel that the rating your room was given does not accurately reflect the true condition of your room, you may appeal your rating. If the SGA Housing Committee rules in your favor, then you will be awarded a point deduction in your lottery number. The decisions of the Housing Committee are final and not subject to appeal. To appeal your room rating, please fill out the Room Rating Appeal Form. This form is due by 5:00 pm on March 28^th, 2008 at Mather Front Desk. Any forms received after this date and time will NOT BE CONSIDERED. If you are currently abroad, you may email your appeal form to sgahousing@gmail.com. Emailed forms will only be accepted from those who are currently abroad. If you are currently on campus, you must submit your form to Mather Front Desk. If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to sgahousing@gmail.com.

Thank you,

Verdell Walker

SGA Housing Committee, Chair

Due to the weather, the Bantam Bus will not be running tonight.The Bantam Bus downtown shuttle normally runs on Friday’s from 8pm to 2am. It will still run on March 7, March 28, April 11, and April 18. For more information, click here.

With the recent launch of TrinitySGA.com, the SGA is currently looking for a webmaster to manage the site for this semester and, likely into next year.The Webmaster will be paid $650 this semester.

Job Overview:

The Webmaster will ensure functionality and aesthetics in the layout of the website, train and assist members of the SGA and student body when necessary, and perform weekly updates and maintenance operations.

Requirements:

Applicants must minimally have basic knowledge of HTML and a willingness to obtain the comprehension needed to satisfy the goals of the website. Applicants must be able to fulfill the responsibilities of this position for the Senate session of Spring 2008. The Webmaster will report directly to the Chairperson of the Elections, Recruitment, and Communications Committee (ERC) and will be required to attend a weekly ERC meeting.

In the event that you have questions or need clarification about the position, please contact:

Senator Bryce Blum ‘10
ERC Chair
Bryce.Blum@Trincoll.edu

If you are interested in filling this position please come to our SGA meeting this Sunday, at 7:00pm in Hamlin Hall.

Hi Everyone,The SGA is looking to create a student bill of rights in relation to Campus Safety. We are looking for your input as we proceed. So if you have any comments or concerns in relation to campus safety, particularly receiving rides, interactions with officers, and the presence of campus safety in dorms, please let us know. Thanks. -Brittany English ‘08

Hey Everyone–

I’ll make this brief. It appears that the issue of Locknetics on interior bedroom doors comes down to money. Unfortunately, student safety is a non-negotiable issue so the money’s gotta appear somehow. Jordyn Sims and I are the two student representatives on the Trinity College Planning and Budget Council, so we’re taking it upon ourselves to try to get the money budgeted in so that when students move in in September, there will be locks on the doors.

In order to present a strong case, however, we need to know exactly why the students want Locknetics. I know it’s a safety and privacy concern, and I know that we all feel passionately about this, but if you could all comment with your personal reasons, it would make Jordyn and my job of explaining the student’s opinions to the Planning and Budget Council much easier. We’ll do our best, but we need your help.

Jordyn and I are meeting on Monday to discuss this and we’ll present our concerns to the PBC at the next meeting (Feb. 25) so if you want your concerns to be presented, please post them here before Wednesday, Feb. 20th.

Thanks so much, and have a good weekend, everyone!

-Andrea

Wednesday, February 13th at 7:00pm
Terrace Room B

When Jarvis comes back online in the fall, the living quarters will be nothing short of palatial. But each bedroom in a typical suite (with six to nine persons living in the suite) WILL NOT have Locknetics on the doors. The SGA Housing Committee and Office of Campus Life wishes to gauge student opinion on this issue. To this end, the Housing Committee is hosting a forum Wednesday, February 13th at 7:00pm in Terrace Room B, Mather Hall to address this issue. Amy DeBaun, director of Campus Life, will also be on hand to answer questions students might have on this or other related issues.

Also, the SGA is currently in the process of renewing a new multi-year cable contract with Comcast.  Come voice your concerns and ask questions about this issue as well. Discussion of Cable will immediately follow the conversation on Locknetics.

These forums were organized by:

Verdell Walker
Housing Committee, Chair

Jacqueline Maye
Student Life, Chair

I want to let the Trinity community know that we experienced some technical difficulties recording video footage of our first two SGA meetings this semester. But, we are excited to say that we will be purchasing new equipment within the next two weeks and hope to improve the service.

Due to poor audio quality and our inability to record the entire meeting, the Executive Board has decided to remove the video of this past Sunday’s meeting. The video from the first SGA meeting of the semester, while it was complete, was also removed because the audio totally failed.

With the implementation of the new equipment we expect to resolve these technical issues for future SGA meetings and you can look forward to viewing them live every Sunday at 7pm.