This fall, the saga of the proposed New South Student Center continues as the university enters into the public phase of their capital campaign this October. However, as discussions proceed over the layout of the NSSC, the administration appears to be leaving talks on the Healy space on the back-burner.

“It’s [NSSC] being presented as one of the key elements of the capital campaign,” Todd Olson, Vice President for Student Affairs, said. On the viability of Healy, Olson adds, “I very much hear and respect the student interest in having space in Healy and I take that seriously, but I don’t have any well-developed ideas on what or how or where. But I hear that point and I know it’s a part of what the students want to continue.”

Many students, particularly those involved in the Georgetown University Student Association’s Healy Space Working Group, welcome the idea of student space in New South, but are disappointed at the unwillingness of the administration to hear ideas presented about Healy. To note, the two projects are not mutually exclusive: NSSC will go ahead regardless of student space in Healy. However, if Healy is deemed unfeasible, the $3.23 million allocated by the endowment commission would be reallocated, and $1.75 million would go toward New South.

Chris Pigott (COL ’12), who is a leader on the “Bring Back Healy Pub” campaign as well as a GUSA senator and working group member, wants plans for Healy to remain a priority in the capital campaign.

“We’ve never had the chance to argue any type of merits with the administration,” Pigott said. “I think that’s wrong and until we have the chance to argue the merits to the provost, to Todd Olson, to anyone who will listen, any kind of decision on their part is premature and doesn’t necessarily respect the work that students and alums have put into the project.”

GUSA President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) and Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL’12)  look to the campaign and the plans on NSSC optimistically.

“The Leavey Center is already a natural center for club and organization space,” Laverriere said. “And New South should be the social space, located near Leo’s, right near upper classman dorms, the Quad, Village C East and West. New South is the natural center for social life on campus.”

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Go ahead and give your GUSA Senator one—or eleven—of these!

Three hours and forty-five minutes. That’s where the second meeting of the full GUSA Senate clocked in. But the 21 Senators got the most out of their time, electing 11 people to various internal positions, including Adam Talbot (COL ’12) as the Senate’s new Speaker and Chris Pigott (COL ’12) as Vice Speaker.

Talbot and Pigott were both vocal freshman Senators last year and seem to be good friends. They gave each other ringing endorsements when the other stepped outside to be elected to his position. (Both races were uncontested). The personal relationships don’t end there: newly elected Parliamentarian Sam Ungar (COL ’12) is Talbot’s roommate.

There’s no funny business going on here, though. The Senate was aware of the love triangle that now dominates its upper offices. Ungar, Pigott, and Talbot were simply the best men for the job—with the possible exception of Nick Troiano (COL ’11), who led the Senate’s Transition Team.

Troiano has said from the beginning that he would prefer not to be Speaker, though.  When nominated by a well-meaning Senator, he respectfully declined the nomination.

Troiano did, however, score the position of Chair of the Finances and Appropriations committee, which comes with the chance to sit in on Funding Board meetings—an excellent vantage point from which to continue his public war with SAC.

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With the polls currently open, it’s time to decide who’ll be representing the student body in GUSA this year.  Of course, the vigilant voter always wants to make an informed decision, but it can be tough to know where exactly a candidate stands.

With that dilemma in mind, Vox sent out a survey to all of this year’s GUSA candidates, and we’ll be posting all the responses we received today.

In this post: At Large candidates Eric Cusimano (SFS ’10), Chris Pigott (COL ’12) and  Sam Ungar (COL ’12), LXR candidate Adam Talbot (COL ’12), and Village A (A-D) Nick Troiano (COL ’11)!

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