Student Government President Danny Carvajal had more than a dozen ideas in his State of the University address, given Wednesday afternoon on the UC Rock.
What Carvajal did not have were more than a dozen students to hear them.
“I would have liked to see a lot more people there,” SG Senate Speaker Brandon Gross told the Senate later that day. “When we put on events, I’d like to see a lot more senators there to speak with constituents about new projects.”
Carvajal addressed a number of initiatives from his first six months in office, saying more than half of his objectives have been accomplished.
‘GREEN’ INIATIVES
SG has partnered with Greenpeace and Earth Alert for several projects as part of the Green U campaign. One proposed program called Freewheelin’ will provide a free bike-sharing service featuring orange and green Trek bikes, similar to the idea suggested in The Miami Hurricane editorial in the Sep. 13 issue. The free bikes will be stored in kiosks, and may be checked out with a Cane Card.
The program is part of the Green U campaign because the use of bikes may cut down on car usage, and the bike kiosks are planned to be powered by solar energy.
“By reducing our footprint on our environment, we are creating a healthier place for us to learn and live,” Carvajal said.
Student Government plans to pilot the program in the spring, placing kiosks near Mahoney/Pearson, University Village, the Memorial Classroom Building and the Apartment Area.
However, funding has not yet been secured. Carvajal said it may be sponsored by an outside source or through the Office of Business Services.
CAMPUS LIFE
SG has created a UM Police Advisory Board to allow students to voice concerns directly to Police Chief David Rivero, Carvajal said.
Furthermore, SG plans to limit wait time for fitness machines at the Wellness Center with a proposal for webcams to be placed in the fitness rooms and cardio areas to allow students to see machine availability before leaving for the gym.
GPS systems were installed in the shuttles last month so students can check the shuttles’ locations online, but there are still no time boards at the shuttle stops. Carvajal said he hopes to see time boards installed once the GPS pilot program is complete.
Students can also expect a juke box in Hecht/Stanford next semester and an increase in Starbucks’ operating hours to 4 a.m. during exams.
Kelly Herson may be contacted at k.herson@umiami.edu.