Community Committee
Community committee co-chairs Kelsey O’Connor and Giavanna Paradiso hosted many events throughout the semester, all of which were new besides pre-Domerfest and Bellesgiving. Even so, the juniors took pre-Domerfest a step further by improving the event with a theme, food and more giveaways. The community committee has hosted at least one event per semester and has successfully revitalized Dalloway’s Coffee House. The co-chairs are looking to make Dalloway’s a more permanent student space and hope their work will help all Belles feel as if they are part of the community. There are more events being planned for next semester. The increase in events and recreation of traditional campus events has created a successful semester for the community committee.
Grade: A
Food Services Committee
Junior Giavanna Paradiso has continued her work from last year as the food services committee chair. The committee worked closely with Sodexo representative Jim Raischer and junior community committee co-chair Kelsey O’Connor to enhance Food Week events as well as to create new events. Paradiso said she is hoping to continue promoting events in Dalloway’s as well as gathering more student feedback on the dining hall. The committee’s events have brightened campus, and dining services has taken student input into greater consideration this semester.
Grade: A
Mission Committee
The mission committee is led by senior Kathryn Stalter and sophomore Tatiana Boehning. The committee works to emphasize the mission of the College through community events that focus on faith and spirituality. The chairs of the mission committee also have a seat on the mission council, which allows them to work directly with faculty and staff to develop more opportunities on campus to enhance the College’s mission. This semester, the mission committee has furthered the previous chairs’ goals through the expansion of “Lemonade and Le Mans” Mass, which now includes other community events after individual dorm Masses such as cookies after McCandless Mass and hot cocoa after Holy Cross Mass. Stalter and Boehning have also hosted holiday-themed events with the Sisters of the Holy Cross, including “Let’s Spoon FroYo Social” in Loretto on Halloween, and “Hot Chocolate Social” on Thanksgiving. While the mission committee has increased community involvement and spiritual awareness to an extent, they have done little to appeal to those who practice non-Catholic faiths.
Grade: A-
Sustainability Committee
The sustainability committee, chaired by seniors Kassidy Jungles and Courtney Kroschel as well as junior Rebecca Cesario, attempts to educate Saint Mary’s students about sustainability and ways to be environmentally consciousness on campus. Most of the funds the committee raise go towards providing recycling bins on campus, although the committee has hosted yoga events and a “Brain Food and Bagels” event. Through working with the Office of Civic and Social Engagement, the committee has been able to increase on-campus composting initiatives with the introduction of paper towel composting bins in the Student Center bathrooms. The sustainability committee has continued its efforts to provide students with viable ways in which to reduce their ecological footprint; while they may seem subtle, in the end, these efforts successfully encourage a more sustainable campus.
Grade: A-
Big Belle Little Belle
SGA’s Big Belle Little Belle program is co-chaired by senior Moira LeMay and junior Sarah Austin. While September was a busy month for the committee, very few events have been scheduled for the end of the semester. November’s only event included the campus-wide “Lip Sync Battle,” which was hosted in conjunction with the Residence Hall Association. One of the highlights of Big Belle Little Belle’s semester was “Reveal Day,” which was hosted at the newly reopened Dalloway’s Coffeehouse and brought much attention to the Saint Mary’s iconic clubhouse. However, Big Belle Little Belle has not done much to increase total Saint Mary’s community involvement.
Grade: B-
SOPHIA Oversight Committee:
This semester, the SOPHIA oversight committee, chaired by junior Addie Bobosky, has worked on soliciting feedback from students about the SOPHIA Program in Liberal Learning. The program is the core of Saint Mary’s Liberal Arts education and the linchpin of all first-year education at the College. Bobosky sits in on SOPHIA program planning meetings and advocates for a better system. The SOPHIA oversight committee will release a survey next semester to add students to the conversation and gather insights about the program. While the committee does not know what a re-imagined SOPHIA program would look like, they are eagerly moving towards improving the program with student feedback.
Grade: B
Market Research and Media Committee
The market research and media committee, led by sophomore Elizabeth Zaczyk, aims to inform students about events occurring on campus through means such as emails, posters and social media. Its biggest initiative is to create a platform —such as a website or singular email — with weekly updates to inform students of everything occurring that week, rather than flooding inboxes with numerous emails, Zaczyk said. The initiative is a work-in-progress, but Zaczyk maintained that progress truly is being made, and the committee hopes to be utilizing this soon.
Grade: B
