Ohio University Student Senate listened to a half-hour presentation on rebuilding campus Wednesday night as the body voted to do some restoration of its own in upcoming years — with some sex talk thrown in as well.
Senate inducted three new members to fill vacancies at its first meeting of Spring Semester and passed a budget resolution approving funding for Sex Week. These resolutions passed unanimously after Vice President for Student Affairs, Ryan Lombardi, drew senate’s attention and scrutiny with a slideshow outlining the future of OU’s campus housing.
“The kind of construction we’re doing is called 100 year construction … it’s built to last,” Lombardi said, as he outlined the plan which will, over the next 10 years, transform South Green into a more open living space with green areas, no catwalks and intramural fields closer to campus.
The plan calls for the demolition of all dorms on South Green excluding the front four and Adams Hall. Followed by the building of several new buildings adjacent to the front four closest to the Hocking River, in the Wolfe Street Apartments’ parking lot and in Morton Hall’s parking lot.
Stewart St. and North McKinley Ave., which currently separate South Green from East Green, would become pedestrian only walkways with less traffic, under the plan, Lombardi said.
Parking would be pushed to the perimeter of South Green, mainly along the river and the back of the new intramural fields, Lombardi said, envisioning a large green space for students to enjoy between South and East Greens.
“We’re doing this in phases because a lot can change in 10 years,” Lombardi said, with the breaking of ground on Phase One to begin this summer.
On the inside of these new dormitories, which will not increase the overall bed capacity of the university – which currently stands at 8,000 – students will live in a mod-style environment with multi-purpose rooms dedicated to various student activities, Lombardi said.
“What we’re trying to do here is build communities within communities,” Lombardi said. “(We’re) trying to get away from super long corridors to the end of time … (instead creating) a place you want to hang out in and study — not some closet with cinder block walls.”
To pay for these renovations, OU will increase the board fee by 3.5 percent per year over ten years, Lombardi said, amounting to a nearly $1,000 increase on the cost of room and board in 2012 by 2022.
He added that savings from demolishing inefficient and maintenance-heavy buildings on South Green will save the university enough money to pay for one-third of the project up front, while taking on debt for the other two-thirds which will be paid off over 30 years.
After Lombardi’s presentation, senate passed three resolutions inducting new senators to the body. Daniel Mussard, senator for the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Carter Phillips, senator for Off-Campus Life, and Kelsey Crowley, West Green senator, were all inducted unanimously.
A budget resolution to spend $361.49 to fund “Sex Week” also passed unanimously, allowing members of Senate to begin purchasing items for the event, including 250 condoms, flowers and Blow Pops.
“It’s our third year of doing it,” said Emma Wright, the women’s affairs commissioner. “It promotes sexual empowerment, safe sex — just a fun way for women (to talk about sex).”
The Student Appropriations Commission had a balance of $89,842.53, reflecting total funding already paid out for spring events, which came to around $64,000, Senate Treasurer Evan Ecos said. Senate’s balance was $17,372.56.
dd195710@ohiou.edu
