Everything from toilet seat covers to parking problems was discussed at last night’s Undergraduate Student Government open forum: ‘What are your Falcon Issues?’
USG President Johnnie L. Lewis began the discussion by opening the floor to students eating in the Union.
‘This is not just me giving a speech to you,’ Lewis said. ‘It’s not just me talking to you, but you talking to me.’
One of the first issues brought up was the idea of an off-campus shuttle bus that would travel to both Meijer on East Wooster Street and Wal-Mart on South Main Street.
‘I don’t have very many friends who drive or who have a car,’ senior Terri Melton said. ‘Having a shuttle that would take us to those places just opens the doors wider.’
In response to the issue, Lewis reminded Melton that USG is currently working on creating a downtown and off-campus shuttle bus which would be funded through a transportation fee.
Yet another parking issue was the prospect of making commuter lots residential and turning overflow and Lot 6 into commuter lots.
‘It would actually benefit commuters because they wouldn’t get up so early in the morning to find parking spaces that don’t exist,’ junior Candice Constant said. ‘With all the safety issues on campus, it just would be nice for residential students to park close to their dorms.’
Although hesitant about the issue, Lewis said if an effective shuttle system were installed, the idea would not be a bad one.
‘If we had a shuttle service that traveled back-to-back every five minutes, it could work,’ he said.
On a different level, freshman Chantay Walker addressed the sanitary conditions of residence hall bathrooms.
‘I live in Compton, and the toilets are just disgusting,’ she said. ‘I want toilet seat covers to be put in every stall.’
Lewis promised to talk to University staff who already order sanitary products to see what the cost and the chances are of installing seat covers some bathrooms across campus.
And though all issues cannot be addressed right away, Lewis said the issues discussed would eventually be tackled.
‘If you don’t tell a senator or me about issues you want resolved, it’s really hard to fix them,’ he said. ‘We’re here to represent you. Let us do it.’
