The full 2011-2012 Senate has finally been seated.
Indeed, the fourth meeting of the AAS on Monday night began with a classic Senate tradition — the swearing-in ceremony. Those elected to the Senate by the student body last Thursday were not officially senators until they recited an “oath of office.” These 10 senators-elect — eight from the class of 2015 and two from the class of 2013 — had to assure the rest of the Senate that, among other things, they had no “mental reservations” or “purpose of evasion” before being sworn in.
Last year, then-AAS Senator (and now current President) Romen Borsellino started a column in The Student to keep the student body in touch with the weekly doings of the AAS. Romen sensed (correctly) that few outside of the Senate understood what went on in Senate meetings, and even fewer believed that the AAS was serving a real, valuable purpose on campus.
Students gathered near the Merrill Science Building on the night of Sept. 8 for a pleasant break from add-drop hysteria. Those who headed to the freshman quad were in for a sweet surprise as they discovered parked in front of Stirn Auditorium an ice cream truck handing out free Ben & Jerry’s Peace Pops, Dove bars, Hoodsie Cups, Häagen Dazs bars and other assorted frozen goodies.
Continuing onward, students found their way to O’Connor Commons, located in the Charles Pratt Basement, where a mini golf course had been laid out for friendly competition.
Last Thursday the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) and the Dean of Students Office partnered to hold a meeting to discuss the impact of the new Massachusetts law on sprinkler systems in social facilities on The Amherst Parties (TAPs).
Because of the law, the basements of Crossett, Stone and Davis can no longer be used to host the college-sponsored parties.
On Aug. 26, students received an email notifying them of a change in fire safety regulations that would affect several popular social spaces on campus. Dean of Students Allen Hart wrote in the email that, following a directive from the Fire Chief for the town of Amherst, “spaces which hold 100 or more people cannot be used unless they have a sprinkler system.” Based on regulations issued by the State Fire Marshal, the decision means that events and parties can no longer be held in the basements of Crossett, Davis and Stone Dormitories.
