Presidential Perspectives

This past week Senate failed to override the veto of the Students’ Rights Policy Resolution with a vote of 5–17–5, and it looks like the process may finally be at rest. I would like to encourage all Student Senators to return to their hard-working efforts from last semester. I would also like to encourage students who were disheartened with their representation to either become members-at-large or petition to fill a vacancy if your college has one, or at least talk with some of your Senators. Now I can move back to the tasks at hand.

As I have mentioned in earlier columns, I am a member of the Dean of Student Affairs Search Committee. The committee will be finishing up its work relatively soon, and from what I have been told the candidates will be visiting campus soon, providing an opportunity for the candidates to interact with the student population. It is important for students to have the chance to talk with the incoming potential deans of Student Affairs, and if you have opinions feel free to let me know your feelings. I will continue to update you on this issue. This is an exciting opportunity for this campus and will help direct some of the attitudes of the campus for at least the upcoming decade. However, this isn’t the only new and interesting opportunity coming to campus.

I spent the beginning part of this semester on the Panhellenic expansion committee to assist in bringing a new national sorority to campus.

After spending several hours in presentations about the history and programming of the organizations vying to join the Carnegie Mellon Greek community, both the women of Zeta Psi Sigma and the expansion committee discussed who would be the best fit for Zeta and the campus community. After a thoughtful and considerate discussion by the expansion committee (I can’t speak to Zeta’s discussion, since that was their private matter), both groups chose to invite Alpha Chi Omega to Canegie Mellon, making it the school’s fifth national Panhellenic sorority.

I would like to wish the women of Zeta Psi Sigma the best as they embark upon the chartering process, and I hope that the remainder of the campus will do the same. With these two major events happening on campus this semester, some type of change is imminent. I am sure these events will help to improve campus life and make Carnegie Mellon even better.