Bobcat Fest gets funded, Student Senate heads to DC, Study Locator Project continues research

Ohio University’s Student Senate passed five resolutions, one of which was voted down in the last session, and heard a presentation about the Study Space Locator Project at its Wednesday night meeting. 

A resolution to fund a networking and advocacy trip to Washington D.C. for senate members was passed. The charges range from purchasing hotel rooms, Ohio University van rentals, parking, gas and food expenses. The total budgeted cost for the trip proposed was $12,147.40. 

There was confusion about the budgeted numbers provided for each portion of the trip. University Life Commissioner Clay Lewis and Governmental Affairs Commissioner Dan Gordillo raised questions about the excessive budgeted numbers. Lewis and Gordillo both voted against the resolution, however it was still passed. 

The senate voted on a resolution to purchase supplies and acquire space for the Bobcat Festival. The resolution was proposed at last week’s general body meeting but was rejected. University Life Commissioner Clay Lewis had made some changes to the proposal, saving roughly $400 dollars and moving the date to April 1 of Mom’s Weekend from 6-10 p.m. The proposed budget included items like Supergames vendors, snacks, a Walter Fieldhouse rental and prizes for the festival. 

Lewis had several students present at the meeting, who shared their support for the festival. The students who spoke wanted to see the resolution passed, as they mentioned their religious and social reasons to see a festival that didn’t focus on drinking. 

The amended resolution passed unanimously with a budget total of $4,329.68.

Members of the Study Space Locator task force, Ryan Spellman and Lauren Slanker, presented about the project and how it works for students. The Study Space Locator is an online resource that students will be able to use to find the best areas on campus to suit their academic needs. 

“We know it’s hard to find spaces…and we are trying to build this thing that is going to meet your requirements for what you’re working on. Whether that be a place where you can be noisy or a space that is quiet. Whether there’s certain amenities that you need, this project aims to help with that,” Spellman said.

The project is still in the development stage as the current version still has some kinks to be worked out. Spellman noted how the project still is not very mobile-friendly, but that it functions generally well on computers. 

The task force is finishing its research stage that aims to find out why students choose where they study and if that relates to their perception of Ohio U’s study spaces. 

Additionally, the task force wanted to learn more about ways to improve current study spaces and to better understand a student’s sense of belonging in those spaces. The research consisted of surveys sent to all students via email and focus groups of different demographics at Ohio U. The email survey saw roughly 200 responses, ranging from sophomores to fifth-year students. There were four focus groups with a total of 26 students. 

“We did not have a lot of, little to no, engineering, education or business majors which could have changed our results a little bit. We did also have a lack of students of color and a lack of male students and we would like to see the perspectives of these students,” Slanker said. “So, if this study was to be replicated, repeated, we would probably try to incorporate a more diverse student population.”

An updated version is set to come out this summer. 

In other senate news, a resolution passed to purchase snacks for a Senate-hosted movie night.  The total budget accepted by senate was $233.40. A final resolution to reserve space for a women’s month social in Walter Rotunda for $100 was passed. Finally, Grace Jarchow was appointed as associate justice of the senate’s Judicial Panel.