On Sunday, Student Council met to discuss the upcoming Thanksgiving Break, the recent booster clinic, the Business and Finance Committee’s (BFC) upcoming semester allocation hearing and the future refurbishment of the Gund Commons Game Room.
Vice President of Finance and Business Melissa Nixon ’23 reminded Student Council that the BFC’s semester allocation hearings will take place on Dec. 3. The form for this allocation will close Dec. 1 at noon, and Nixon urges student organizations to submit their requests earlier rather than later.
Safety and Wellness Committee Chair Madelin Vandeberg ’25 commented on the success of the booster clinic held last week, where 879 total doses of the flu vaccine or the COVID-19 booster were administered. Vandeberg reminded students that both shots are mandatory for Kenyon students and that students must upload documentation of their vaccinations to their student health portals to be in compliance with this policy. Furthermore, for the first-year and sophomore classes, those who are not currently in compliance with this policy (or who have not communicated with the Cox Health and Counseling Center) will be placed on academic hold, which will affect registration for the upcoming spring semester.
Vandeberg also noted upcoming events, such as a collaboration between the Health Center and Weaver Wednesday, which will occur Nov. 30. More information about this event will be coming from these organizations closer to the date.
Housing and Dining Committee Chair Ever Croffoot-Suede ’23 reminded students to return any dishes, cups or silverware that they may have taken from Peirce Dining Hall. She said the committee will likely hold a dish drive for students to return dishes sometime after Thanksgiving break.
Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Khue Tran ’25 also mentioned that the Kenyon Source, an on-campus resource for food, winter clothing and everyday essentials, will be in use for the first time over Thanksgiving Break. Students with demonstrated financial need who are staying on campus over break will receive an email with information on where the Source is located and how to access it.
Student Council President Ubongabasi Asuquo ’23 communicated with Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) about refilling period product dispensers on campus. PPGA also plans to work with maintenance to establish permanent dispensers.
Dean of Students Brian Janssen added that the Ping-Pong table in Gund Commons was broken beyond repair and will not be replaced. He urged students to respect campus property, and will be working with Don Miller and the First-Year Committee to refurbish the Gund Commons game room.
“We are unsure of how the Ping-Pong table was destroyed, but it is sad because so many people enjoyed using it in the Gund Commons game room,” Janssen wrote in an email to the Collegian. “I am confident that with input from students we will be able to reimagine what the space may look like in the future and I look forward to hearing creative ideas.”
There will be no Student Council meetings for the next two weeks due to Thanksgiving break. The next Student Council meeting will be held Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in Chalmers 302. All students are welcome to attend either in person or remotely.