UA recap: Members approve PennApps Labs resolution

On Sunday night, the Undergraduate Assembly voted 25 in favor and one against on a resolution that will allow the UA speaker to vote for PennApps Labs to work on a proposed Events@Penn Calendar for this year’s project.

Engineering junior and PAL Technical Lead Kyle Hardgrave explained the basis of the calendar and PAL’s ability to pursue the project.

“It would be a common events calendar for all clubs and groups to put up their events and departments to share their events so students can see what’s happening on campus,” said Hardgrave, a former Daily Pennsylvanian lead online developer and staff writer. “Something like a common events calendar would be technically feasible in the short term.”

Hardgrave further explained the organization of the calendar.

“We want to create a strong notion of tags and groups so that every event would be associated with a group,” he said. “Students could subscribe to specific tags or get an email update with tags of interest.”

College senior and UA Treasurer Jake Shuster, along with many of his fellow members, espoused support for the project.

“For those of you that don’t know, Big Man On Campus is a fraternity and sorority event that draws very large attendance from the Greek Community — [but this year], the Friars Senior Society happened to plan our largest charity event on the same night,” Shuster said. “This is an example of where a common events calendar could be useful to avoid major events being planned simultaneously.”

Sunday night, the UA also voted 24 in favor of amending its bylaws to give the Nominations and Elections Committee’s vice chair for education the position of chair of the Commissions of Undergraduate Assembly Debates. Previously, the UA president was charged with the responsibility of appointing a seven-member debate commission during spring UA elections. This role will now be filled by the NEC’s vice chair for education.

“The UA still has a say in the process because if we don’t approve the slated officers we can have them re-elect them until we come to an agreement,” College junior and UA President Dan Bernick said.

Bernick added that giving the power of appointing the seven members to the NEC will allow them to devote more time and energy to improving the quality of the debates.

While other topics at Sunday’s general body meeting included discussions on the prospects of creating a fashion major and offering physical education classes for credit, the other major focus was centered on residential life at Penn. In a discussion about the current on-campus housing system, some voiced their belief that mixing upperclassmen and freshmen provides for an integrated living experience, while others argued that freshmen should all live together in order to get a true “freshman experience.”

“Freshmen should have the opportunity to form a community on their own,” Shuster said. “It’s a difficult but fun time, and you want to make mistakes and have fun on your own.”

This article has been updated to specify that the NEC’s vice chair for education will be filling the role of chair of the Commissions of Undergraduate Assembly Debates.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.