Despite some challenges, the Student Congress (STUCO) led another successful meeting on Oct. 16. While the meetings are typically hosted in the Perry Board Room the building was shut down that evening. STUCO reports a mechanical fire on the lower level of Perry led to smoke in the ventilation shafts. As a result, dinner was moved outside, where students enjoyed hotdogs, hamburgers, and pizzas, and the STUCO meeting moved to Communications 136. Impressively, the meeting still began on time.
During the meeting, Senior Emma Scheaffer presented a proposal to establish a chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, SWE, at Daone. While the name suggests a focus on engineering, the chapter would be open to all STEM majors, including science, technology, engineering, and math. The chapter would provide students with valuable opportunities such as study groups, joint meetings with UNL, and chances to attend national engineering conferences. It would also feature guest speakers and offer presentations at middle and high schools to inspire future STEM students.
STUCO members were impressed with Scheaffer’s well-prepared and organized presentation, unanimously passing the initiative. To help the SWE chapter get started, STUCO allocated $140 to cover initial setup costs. Scheaffer plans to kick off fundraising efforts with 3D-printed keychains and other creative ideas, along with a bake sale and STEM-themed merchandise. Additionally, the Student Appreciation Dinner, SAD, was discussed. Most committees had no new updates on the event and as such the dinner was still TBD.
However, the issue was discussed again at the Oct. 23 meeting in which SAD was scheduled for Nov. 13 or Nov. 14 from 5:30 to 7:30. The Food Committee was busy in between meetings with plenty of updates. Closures like Lakeside have occurred due to staff breaks, running trash, or staffing issues. The Ice cream machine is also having issues as it overheats easily in the corner.
The Den has been having severe food issues. Multiple students have reported food poisoning which they believe was caused by The Den. There has been undercooked fried chicken, spoiled milk, and questionable food appearances. The Den has also run out of food at times.
STUCO has been informing students of the Student Congress Reserve account which funds programs and services beneficial to Doane. STUCO encourages students to suggest ideas on which the account can be used. The only restriction is that the program must occur on the Crete Campus or nearby and be open to all Doane students. The deadline to submit ideas for the fund’s use is Nov. 15.
Finally, other campus issues were addressed, including ice machines that had been malfunctioning due to water buildup and the need for piano tunings across campus. STUCO members promised to follow up on these concerns to improve student experiences. On Oct 30 STUCO will be participating in the ice bucket challenge, to raise awareness for ALS, at 9 a.m.
