Incoming freshmen who want to help influence the direction Dartmouth will take during their four years are encouraged to join Student Assembly, the student government organization.
Although Assembly leaders are elected by the student body every Spring term, freshmen can become involved immediately, as freshmen class representatives are elected after the new class arrives in the fall. About two to three freshman representatives are chosen to represent each housing cluster.
This year's Student Body President is Noah Riner '06, who will lead the Assembly during the 2005-2006 academic year with the help of Student Body Vice President Jeffrey Coleman '08.
According to Riner, Student Assembly interacts with students, alumni, and College administration in order to improve student life, both inside and outside of the classroom.
"It embodies what is so unique about the college experience: that students get to direct their own course," Riner said.
With a budget of over $90,000, Student Assembly has more funding than any other student group on campus, and is, according to Riner "a powerful organization [that] gives students a lot of initiative."
The construction of the new gymnasium, as well the extended library hours for this coming year, can be counted among Student Assembly's more prominent triumphs.
The gym was "a project that students have been begging for the past 8 years," Riner said.
Similarly, Student Assembly conducted surveys to prove that most students would prefer to use the library later, pushing the College to bear the costs of keeping the facility running longer, so that library closing time could be changed from midnight to 2 a.m.
When it comes to daily conveniences, Student Assembly maintains a number of continuing programs. The collegiate readership program brings three different newspapers to student dining halls, allowing them to keep apprised of the world beyond Dartmouth during meals.
The "Take Your Professor to Coffee" program offers free coffee vouchers to students who wish become acquainted with their professors outside of the classroom setting.
The Assembly maintains BlitzMail terminals throughout campus, to allow students to use BlitzMail as a key avenue for communication between classmates and professors. Vending machines have also been set up to accept the Dartmouth card in addition to cash.
For the coming year, Student Assembly is dedicated to reducing class sizes in crowded government and economics departments and to supporting club sports teams, which, according to Riner, "play a big part of people's life at Dartmouth and shouldn't be short-ended."
The Assembly also hopes to launch the Safety and Security Review Board -- a venue that will allow students to review Safety and Security cases, preventing unjust accusations and charges against both students and officers.
Students are encouraged to become involved by attending general assembly meetings on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., which are open to the entire campus. After attending three consecutive meetings, students can join one of the seven committees that form the Assembly and begin voting on Assembly resolutions.
Riner promises a bolder year for Student Assembly in 2005-2006. They hope not only to address isolated problems, but also to change the way the College perceives student life.
"We want a campus where students are first," he said.
