Student Senate discusses new construction and student resources
By Katie Frost
As the Student Senate is settling into more consistent meetings, a prominent topic has been new things coming to St. Kate's regarding new construction plans, student information, help centers and ideas for better student involvement. During a recent senate meeting, the Student Senate president, Elliana Johnson ‘27 (Psychology), went over some of the construction that has been noticeable around campus and shared information she received from her meeting with the president of St. Catherine University, Dr. Marcheta P. Evans.
In the Student Senate meeting, Johnson went over the construction on Whitby and the powerhouse by the Butler Center, explaining that both projects are to repair leaky roofs and fix some exterior damage. Additionally, half of the O’Shaughnessy parking lot was redone over the summer, and they plan to finish the other half before the start of the next semester. On the topic of parking lots, there is also a plan to build a new campus entrance at the end of the dew drop parking lot, connecting to Cleveland Avenue. This entrance would cut the time to exit campus from dew drop significantly, and is currently planned to kick off in the spring.
Regarding campus buildings, two main upcoming topics have been most relevant. Official as of last semester, the Sisters of St. Joseph have decided to give St. Catherine University the Carondelet Center, where the Food Access Hub and other events are held. The current plan for the space is to provide more lab space for students to work in; however, no construction has begun yet. Johnson also shared that in her meeting with Dr. Evans, they discussed the plans for the Visual Arts Building. The president mentioned in the meeting that she wanted to make it clear that there are currently no plans to tear down the Visual Arts Building, and that, aside from basic construction repairs, any plans for it won't be definitive for another 5 to 10 years. Additionally, Johnson added that it was clarified that regarding the space being used for a parking lot, it is “absolutely not happening, the parking lot is not at all in their plans.” The team wanted to emphasize that now is the perfect time to gather student feedback on what the community would like to see happen with the Visual Arts Building, and the Student Senate is always open to feedback and ideas that could be implemented.
Another new thing coming to the university is a one-stop shop on the second floor of Derham, labeled Katie Central. Essentially, this space will be designed to provide a faster process for helping students with financial aid, counseling, student account issues and more.
Finally, the Student Senate wants to remind everyone that it's not too late to get involved. There are still a couple of positions open on the senate board, and everyone is welcome to apply. Students who don't want to join the senate but are still interested are always welcome to attend and observe senate meetings held every Tuesday from noon to 1:15 pm in the student organization center.
