SA Senate Seeks to Reduce Hazing and Relocate Student Health Services

By McKinley Kant

The GW Student Association Senate met Monday night in a crowded Marvin Center meeting room to pass multiple bills and hear updates from committees.

The Senate unanimously approved two bills that will express to GW officials the SA’s desire for an active effort to collect data on campus hazing, as well as the relocation and consolidation of student health and counseling services.

The Senate heard from Interfraternity Council SA Delegate Sean Kumnick, who said IFC is on board with the proposed Student Safety Act, which supports better monitoring of organizations on campus about hazing.

“IFC has taken heat for hazing allegations. In the past years we've seen reduced complaints, and we want to increase this climate against hazing on campus,” said Kumnick.

Sen. Nick Gumas, a sponsor of the bill, said the university currently does not actively collect data about the state of hazing on campus. Instead, the school is approaching the topic on a case-by-case basis.

SA President Julia Susuni spoke on the Health and Wellness Resources Act, which endorses the relocation of the Student Health Service to a more central location on campus, as well as its consolidation with the University Counseling Center, one of Susuni’s signature campaign promises.

“The people who are responsible for making this a reality have demonstrated that they want to work with us," Sen. Gumas said. "We are so confident that the student body wants this." 

The Senate also unanimously approved funding for TEDxFoggyBottom, which will take place next February.

$9,000 will be appropriated to co-sponsoring the event, said Chairman of the Finance Committee Ryan Counihan, which will help pay for audio and video equipment. In addition, $5,000 will be loaned to the event to cover the cost of holding the event at Lisner Auditorium, which will be paid back after the event.

Multiple senators couldn’t resist pointing out that the SA Senate seems to be functioning better than the United States Congress, which has yet to reach an agreement on ending the government shutdown entering its second week.