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SGA update: parking, printers, books and fountains

Tyler Cote
Connector Staff

Senators of their respected colleges met at University Crossing, as they do every week, to discuss matters on campus. With deliberation and formal discussion by everyone involved, some important topics were brought to the table.

A hot issue this year has been the bookstore and its overwhelming prices that tower over those of Amazon and Chegg. “We are looking for a way to have students get all their needed books from our bookstore,” said Sheila Angelo, vice president of the Senate. The understanding across the table was that students lean toward websites such as Amazon to purchase their books because of the affordability

An idea for offering a discount or incentive to students who spend a certain amount in the bookstore was suggested. This of course would need cooperation from the bookstore and a positive response from the students to grow into fruition.

The Senate spoke about the growth of EBooks and how the use of them by students can have a significant impact on education and cause less stress and balance out the number of books in both Lydon and O’Leary libraries.

Philosophy major, senior and member of the Senate Christopher Del Monte, said “I hate EBooks, but as a Senator, we have to take into account that in the information era, there’s bound to be minimalism.”

UMass Lowell Senators Robert Callahan, a criminal justice major and freshman, and Tyler Farley, a political science major and freshman, submitted a request to install printers in each of the residence halls.

They stated this would allow students better access to printing resources.

With the printers comes the same need that came with the bookstore; the Student Government Association asks students for feedback concerning the printers, in order to decide whether running with this issue is a good use of time.

Also, with the promotion of a “green planet” and UMass Lowell’s push to become carbon-neutral, the topic of increasing the number of hydration stations around campus arose. These are the water fountains that specifically refill water bottles.

Senators commented on the high price of this issue. However this also promotes the “going green” movement that is sweeping across America. No disagreements were arisen on the Senate.

The entire Senate discussed the price of parking, and whether they will be able to work out a deal for lowering its price. The hope for the Senate is to reach out to parking services and the university to compromise on a way to lower the parking prices, making it more affordable for the students to purchase the pass.

With the way the university is growing, in both size and prestige, students from further out are being attracted to the school, making a mode of transportation more necessary for the long road trips home.

Del Monte had frustrating words concerning the meeting: “Vice President Angelo has called us a ‘working class university’, which makes the idea of having $400 parking passes a complete and utter farce. The university just spent $95 million to build University Crossing, and the price of parking has only been rising.”

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