First on UA agenda: Reaching out to peers

Each branch of student government has brainstormed new ways to reach out to the 2,468 incoming freshman and thousands of returning students that will traverse Locust Walk this fall.

This semester, Undergraduate Assembly Chairwoman Rachel Fersh said that her major goal is to increase the UA's name recognition across campus.

The UA "can't reach out ‹¨« unless the entire undergraduate body knows who we are ‹¨« which has always been a huge problem for the UA," Fersh said.

In order to enhance campus involvement, the UA will announce its meeting agenda nine days in advance, instead of the previous two days. The UA will also promote the agenda to other student leaders on campus and send personalized e-mails to groups that have personal stakes in the meeting's topics

"We want to make [the UA] more public so people will come to us with ideas more readily," Fersh said.

Coming off the heels of a controversy in the spring semester, the Nominations and Elections Committee wants to increase campus involvement as well. The NEC is responsible for running student government elections and nominating representatives for various university committees.

The group also aims to make sure that its selection processes are fair and transparent. Last year, minority coalitions expressed discontent with the NEC's selections for seats on university committees.

"It turned out that they were upset with the entire selection process," NEC chair David Diesenhouse said.

To prevent future conflict, the NEC plans to communicate the selection process more clearly.

Some of the NEC's ongoing goals are to increase voter turnout and to engage the university with the student government.

"If [a student says] ‹¨«I wish Spring Fling was this way' they should be able to e-mail people involved in fling," said.

The NEC also wants to work more closely with other on-campus groups. Diesenhouse said that the NEC will hold forums with leaders of various organizations to encourage "leaders on campus [to be] involved in a dialogue."

Diesenhouse said that "all the groups involved in last semester are willing to move forward and work together, and I don't see any block to achieving that goal."

Student Activities Council Chair Phil Gommels said that one of SAC's main goals is to pass an alcohol policy that will encourage all groups -- not just Greek organizations -- to register alcohol-serving parties with the Office of Alcohol Initiatives.

Registration of parties "will encourage safe drinking, make sure water is available and enough food" for partyers, Gommels said. He added that SAC will also launch its new Web site this fall.

Despite a disappointing turnout at last year's Spring Fling concert, the Social Planning and Events Committee, which works to develop campus-wide social and cultural activities, aims "to keep providing successful events that catch the interest of many different people in the Penn community," said SPEC member and College senior Katelyn Rood.

SCUE will set off the semester with its annual sponsored event, No Place Like Penn, on Sept 15-17. The internationally-themed event will welcome students and celebrate the beginning of the semester. Events will include a showing of Team America: World Police, an evening with hypnotist Tom DeLuca and an international tailgate on College Green.

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, students interested in learning about what each of the six student government branches does and how to get involved can attend the the Student Government Info Session, at 9 p.m. in Logan Room G17.

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