Univ to consider second C-Store in Village
Acheampong outlines university changes past and present in State of the Union
Published: November 19, 2010Section: Front Page
PHOTO BY Anthony Losquadro/The Hoot
“I’m optimistic about this proposal; there are things to work out but it’s something we want to get, there needs to be [another convenience store],” Collins said. The second site would be located on the ground floor of Village C.
In dining and other summaries of the Union’s work this semester, Acheampong said he would continue to fight to “ensure that we get what we pay for.”
He also announced that, after the petition for cage-free eggs and a negotiation for a slight rise in meal plan prices, “Every single egg used at Brandeis will be cage-free.”
Other than breaking university development news, Union addresses typically review the semester’s developments in a way intended to show a student perspective.
On the spirited debate abut the university’s decision to no longer keep its need-blind admission status but use the money to meet 100 percent of need, Acheampong offered a defense of the Union’s actions.
“When this policy was first announced, the Student Union came out passionately against it,” he said. While we are still saddened to see the University pursue a policy [that] would strip us of our need-blind status, we cannot ignore the continued financial difficulty faced by the Brandeis community and the country as a whole.”
But he affirmed his support for accepting students with no regard to financial status.
“No student should ever be denied a Brandeis education because they cannot afford it. This new financial aid system is far from ideal, and we should not forget that it is not perfect. As a community of social justice, we must be prepared to change this policy as soon as we are financially able.”
Acheampong reflected on the events the night of Pachanga, including student arrests for assault charges and numerous ambulance visits to drunken students, as “not reflective of Brandeis. It has not changed out culture of care or support.”
The Union announced the creation of a new Student Life Committee, and Acheampong said he would also be analyzing the policy recommendations of the Drug and Alcohol Policy Committee to “ensure the new policies are in the best interest of the students.”
In light of the recent Wabash College study that revealed Brandeis’ comparative lack of faculty-student interaction, Acheampong announced that the Student Union’s voucher program to have lunch with faculty members will be increased from 120 vouchers to 240, in order to allow more students to take their professors for experiences beyond the classroom.
The BranVans and Crystal Shuttles service will also be upgraded, with a new GPS-device installed in each one. Students will be able to log in online, including via mobile phone, to check their locations.
Throughout the speech, Acheampong pitched words to administrators in the audience.
“Two questions: where’s the pool and when will the castle be renovated?”
“As the administration prepares plans and proposals to the board of trustees, we demand that the pool and renovations of the residence halls that are falling remain at the top of the list.
“We need the infrastructure to support this community,” he added, “our students expect better and history demands nothing less.”
At the conclusion, Board Chairman Mal Sherman called it outstanding.
“He spoke with enthusiasm and accuracy—meaning recognition that we faced very serious challenges,” Sherman said. “But we came together to solve them.
“As a university, we have always been blessed by exciting, dynamic leadership, and overcome problem after problem after problem.”
Soon-to-be President Fred Lawrence said these challenges reflected how “Acheampong had addressed “ a wide range of issues.”
“From the more serious, and our progress, down to food, and everything in between.”
