An introduction to Student Council, straight from the horse's mouth

An introduction to Student Council, straight from the horse's mouth

By Jeremiah Crim · The Johns Hopkins News-Letter · September 5, 2001

Every year, their flyers clutter the bulletin boards in Wolman, McCoy and the AMRs. Uninitiated freshman candidates promise everything from a better meal plan to more attractive people on campus and an end to grade inflation. They are among the few students at Hopkins that can truthfully claim to have school spirit and attend social activities, rather than just complaining about the lack of things to do here.

But what does Student Council actually do? Their weekly meetings surely offer no indication. Usually, nothing gets done. Most of the time is spent discussing who drank too much at the last party or dance, with constant interruptions by the few people trying to get home quickly that Wednesday night. Class reports, meant to present a class's upcoming plans to the board and the small audience (including the unlucky News-Letter reporter assigned to cover the meeting), usually detail the social exploits (and failures) of the officers, with a ten-second brief of useful information added as an afterthought.

Once a year, the Council's meeting is undoubtedly productive. They approve the annual Student Activities Commission (SAC) budget, which distributes over $400,000 to the student groups on campus. But the real work of Council is done in committees, who rarely receive credit for the work that they do.

Recently, Student Council Executive President Anuj Mittal explained to the News-Letter what two of these committees do:

Academic Affairs

Last year, the Academic Affairs Committee continued working with the Office of Career Planning and Development (CPD) to create more opportunities for students at Hopkins to find internships. Mittal said that the committee's main goals were "enhancing the resources [of CPD] and making students aware of possibilities."

According to Mittal, though many Hopkins students still plan to become doctors, a large contingent of students now seek professional careers after graduation. These students, he said, do not realize the importance of internships early enough in their college careers.

To improve awareness of internships available to undergraduates, the Academic Affairs committee distributed pamphlets, which included advice from other students on how to find an internship, to students living in University housing, especially freshmen. Academic Affairs also held forums about internship opportunities, which Mittal estimated that over 200 students attended.

In addition, the committee provides MARC tickets for students who participate in internship programs in Washington, D.C. during the school year.

This year, the committee plans to put a research guide online. On this Web site, professors will be able to list research topics so that students can more easily get in contact with professors doing research in an area in which they are interested.

Homewood Student Affairs

The Homewood Student Affairs Committee (HSA) deals with many aspects of student life, including housing and dining.

Mittal said that, though the meal plan and housing are issues that require constant attention, HSA also plans to focus on "the transition to a new campus" this year. Making the Beach once again become a place for students to hang out, though it has been complicated by the recent construction, will be one of the committee's goals.

The committee also plans to concentrate on making the Mattin Center more accessible to students. Only students who have taken certification classes can use many of the facility's resources, but the classes usually have small limits. Many students who sign up for the classes are turned away because of this, Mittal said.

HSA also plans to continue hosting free sketching and painting classes at the Mattin Center. For more information on Student Council, visit http://www.jhu.edu/studcoun/.