The Undergraduate Assembly wants to make it easier for students to fly home for Thanksgiving this week.
The student-government body allocated $765 from its budget to charter a Penn Transit bus that will transport students to and from the airport at its meeting last night.
A bus will pick up students hourly from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Upper Quad gate. Each bus will take 35 students on a first come, first served basis.
"Up to 600 students could potentially benefit from this," said UA Vice Chairman of External Affairs and College and Wharton junior Brett Thalmann, who helped form the proposal. "If there's good student response, we will expand it in the future."
Spring Fling safety
The UA passed another resolution encouraging increased safety awareness during Spring Fling and stressing the importance of keeping the festival in the Quadrangle.
The University Council Committee on the Quality of Student Life recently recommended that the University look into alternative locations, such as Superblock or Hill Square.
The UA stressed the importance of retaining the location because of security and fear of backlash from students.
"When we talk about moving it from the Quad, people cringe," UA Chairwoman and College senior Rachel Fersh said, adding that she thinks it is unlikely that Fling will move. "I have a lot of friends that I've talked to about this proposal, and they said if it's not in the Quad, we'll party off campus."
The proposal, which was also passed by UA Steering -- a group of leaders from major student organizations on campus -- focused on safety issues.
Last year, there were 19 hospitalizations for alcohol poisoning, 19 party disturbances and 16 alcohol citations during Fling. There was also one arrest and five police investigations of incidents of simple assault.
UA members suggested helping to spearhead an awareness campaign in the weeks leading up to Fling that would clarify the University's alcohol amnesty policy and encourage responsible behavior among students.
They hope to increase the involvement and visibility of faculty, staff and the student-run Team Sober -- a group of student alcohol monitors.
Residential programs
The UA is encouraging the University to improve the residential programs in college houses.
The 32 residential programs, ranging from Exploring Philadelphia to Women in Science, give students the opportunity to live with other students and faculty who are interested in a particular subject.
Currently, each of the 11 college houses receives a maximum of $3,000 for residential programs. The UA requested that College Houses and Academic Services make the funding proportional to program enrollment.
It also urged CHAS to discontinue reserving spots for freshmen except for programs specifically targeting freshmen or in primarily freshman dorms.
The proposal encouraged programs to collaborate more closely with related faculty and academic departments as well as implement a stronger feedback system to evaluate each program's success.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.