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The proposed expansion of Mid Quad debuted at the Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College Senate meeting Sept. 30. Assistant Dean of Students Eric Vos, Dean of Students Mary Spellman, and Vice President for Administration and Planning and General Counsel Matthew Bibbens all made appearances. Admitting that “this is by far the most overcrowded we’ve been in the past 15 years,” Bibbens explained how the proposal to add new beds and improve existing spaces would mitigate future overcrowding. Apparently, the overcrowding originated in the imprecise art of predicting enrollment levels, a ploy to manage the housing budget.
Living space improvements on the agenda included more “mini Crocker Reading Rooms,” opportunities for gender-neutral housing, and the much-applauded inclusion of a demonstration kitchen in the addition that will connect Berger and Benson Halls. Spellman noted that while there would only be one bathroom on the first floor of Marks Hall after its renovation, the new showers would be “so much nicer” than the old showers which she said “sucked.” When probed about plans to add air conditioning to North Quad residence halls, Vos reassured the Senate that the issue would be revisited in no less than 15 years.
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After a vote on the Democrats of the Claremont Colleges’ Lake Tahoe trip funding request (77 percent approve, 21 percent reject, 2 percent abstain), the meeting moved to the introduction of an amendment to include a Public Engagement Officer on the Executive Board to “replace but not really replace” the Forum Editor-in-Chief’s position post-independence. Confusion arose regarding whether the Senate must approve stipends for this new position during its one-year trial period. It was determined that Senate approval is only necessary if the trial position leads to a constitutional amendment.
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