Student Council held its weekly meeting Tuesday in the Amphitheatre — its first in the new “StudCo Comes to You Initiative.”
Vice President for Administration Sky Miller, a fourth-year College student, said the initiative — which plans Council meetings to be held in various places around Grounds — is about making Council a collaborative organization which works to address students’ problems.
“What we essentially did was form an initiative where we’re going to go to people,” he said. “Instead of making people come to us, we want to make ourselves as accessible as possible, as available as possible, and go around Grounds to various different communities.”
Council President Jalen Ross, a fourth-year Engineering student, asked students in attendance what they wanted to see from Council.
“What I heard from everyone I talked to was they didn’t know who we were or what we do,” he said.
Both Ross and Miller said a huge problem was students not knowing the location of Council meetings.
“Part of the problem was we weren’t communicating well the things we do for students,” Ross said. “We’re failing in our duty if we’re doing things and nobody knows about them.”
Miller said Council wants people to come out to the weekly sessions and share their concerns and talk about student issues. He said the body is, at the very least, looking for the participation of those random students who hear about the meeting.
“We recognize that we’re not going to get huge crowds out to see our meetings,” Miller said. “But I think that this will give us much more opportunity to show that we’re available and making an effort to be available and give students the chance to then come to us and say this is what we’re concerned with.”
Miller said Council is going to specifically target different organizations based on the location of each meeting. He said next week, when Council meets in Ern Commons, they’re inviting dorm councils, first years and RAs to talk about their concerns.
At the meeting, Ross addressed Council regarding the ongoing efforts in the search for missing second-year College student Hannah Graham.
“It’s important to note that this is the period that we’ve gotten far enough in that people start getting disillusioned,” Ross said.
He said to remember even though many students have been able to go back to their normal lives, those close to Graham who are more severely impacted by her disappearance have not.
“[We need to] maintain hope in a time that is very difficult to do so,” he said.
Ross said Council will be handing out orange ribbons to Greek chapters, other organizations and Council members in honor of Hannah and her favorite color.
Council also approved Student Activity Fund guidelines and an amendment to the fall budget to include Engage Cville, a program to connect first years with community leaders from Charlottesville.
Council also tabled a vote to approve new CIOs.
College Representative Klaus Dollhopf, a fifth-year College student, said the committees have not yet finished looking over the pending organizations.
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