USG discusses bathroom codes, spring elections

The Undergraduate Student Government Senate discussed bathroom codes and the upcoming USG elections during its weekly meeting on Apr. 10.

Jenny Zhang ’18, University Student Life Committee chair,said that dormitory bathroom locks will be keypad SALTO locksrather than regular SALTO locks, as was announced in the Feb. 28meeting.Zhang explained that these are programmed to grant access via a PUID card or PIN code.

“This directly addresses the guest issue. You don’t have to be with them 24/7, you can just give them a PIN ... if you’re a student, you can use your prox,” Zhang said.

The PINs will be hallway-specific, Zhang added.

In a previous survey, a higher proportion of female students had voted for some sort of bathroom protection and only about 10 percent of the male student population had also preferred a bathroom code, said Zhang.

Aleksandra Czulak '17, USG president,added that students and parents alike are concerned when they believe that safety is at stake,as was seen when the GirlCode iPhone application was available last year.

When asked whether students had expressed a concern specifically about male students or male outsiders entering bathrooms, Zhang said that the bathroom code survey that was released by USG had not included a question about what was considered a security concern among female students who had wanted to keep bathroom locks.

“I don’t feel comfortable voting right now,” Class of 2017 senator Cailin Hong '17 said. “I think the survey has not given a clear picture.”

Deliberations about the keypad SALTO locks are still ongoing, said Czulak.

Lavinia Liang '18,U-Councilor,said that there was more than an insignificant minorityof students had wanted bathroom security.

“I don't think this is a case in which the status quo can be maintained,” she said.

The resolution did not pass at this meeting, but the discussion will continue, according to Czulak and Jeremy Burton '18, USG vice president.

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Sung Won Chang ’18, chief elections manager,said that USG held open houses for candidates interested in running for a position in the upcoming elections last week. These positions includedU-Councilor and class council positions.

Czulak had announced the elections in a school-wide email last Sunday.

“Some red flags were that the people running [for the elected positions] are mostly class government officers,” Chang noted.

He said he expects many of the elections to be uncontested.Chang added that only a handful of people are running for U-Councilor and that there might not be an election held for those positions if no more people apply.

Czulak noted that USG members always try to reach out to student groups to encourage people to run.

“That’s something we should institutionalize for every election,” Czulak said, regarding outreach for elections.

Chang said themain problem is that there is a perceived law of incumbency.

“I think that problem is bigger for the spring elections,” he added.

According to Chang, this is the first time in USG election history that the USG elections and referenda voting will take place at the same time.

Both referenda, one about divestment from private prisons and another calling for a review of disciplinary measures against academic integrity violations, met the 10% of student body requirement as more than 526 students signed respective petitions, Chang explained. However, he noted that each referendum must have an opposition party.

Chang said that only one student has preliminarily expressed opposition to the second referendum so far.