Duke Student Government senators got a history lesson at their Wednesday meeting.
At the meeting—at which the Senate also confirmed two new student organizations—DSG President Tommy Hessel, a senior, presented “10 Events in DSG History,” which was created with the Rubenstein Library.
According to the history presentation, DSG has existed for 95 years as a formalized student body at the University. It combined the Men’s Student Government Association with the Women’s Student Government Association to become the Associated Students of Duke University in 1969.
In 1973, ASDU president Steve Schewel, now the mayor of Durham, began pushing for student representatives on the Board of Trustees’ committees. ASDU also fought for increased student representation in University budget areas, including financial aid.
In 1975, ASDU launched a campaign to increase minority students and faculty on campus. Their involvement was separate from the Afro-American Society, which was a prominent group on campus at the time.
In a section titled “The Fall of Zagster,” senators detailed how in 2016, DSG used $10,000 to bring rental bikes to campus for students to use. However, this initiative failed due to lack of student interest.
The student senators recapped the DSG history with a quick game of Kahoot, won by Rhea Tejwani, sophomore senator for Durham and Community Affairs.
Sophomore Drew Flanagan, chair of the Student Organization Finance Committee, presented two new student groups for approval.
DSG voted to charter the Duke Undergraduate Quantum Information Society, which works with the Rhodes Information Initiative.
“There's a lot of excitement on this new outlook of computing that we would love to have represented in a student group,” Flanagan said.
DSG also voted to charter UNCUT Duke, a student-athlete storytelling platform that aims to provide a platform for student-athletes to speak about off-the-field interests, involvements and social causes. Per the platform’s Instagram page, it aims to “flip the narrative” surrounding student athletes.
Flanagan voiced concerns that the organizational structure is currently predominantly upperclassmen. However, he felt confident that the organization is currently recruiting underclassmen. Flanagan also noted that UNCUT highlights mental health as part of its initiative.
“There’s a thriving chapter at [the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill],” Flanagan said.
In other business
Senators approved an SOFC funding request from Neurocare, who want to bring in suicide prevention speaker Kevin Hines, for $3500.
Additionally, sophomore Hana Hendi, first-year Sophie Smith and sophomore Tommy Shen were confirmed to the Student Wellness Advisory Committee.
“I desire greater transparency with mental health, especially now when online classes are especially burdensome,” Smith said.
Shen discussed the need for better sexual health services, especially since he said many have been limited on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hendi detailed her plan to improve mental health resources by working with COVID-19 testing centers. “I want to move towards more awareness for mental health services on campus, working with the actual COVID testing centers,” she said.
DSG also confirmed non-DSG-members Bridget Zhu, a first-year, and Connor Haughey, a sophomore, to the LGBTQIA+ Caucus. Haughey also teaches the Condoms and Counseling house course.
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Paige Carlisle is a Trinity senior and a staff reporter for The Chronicle.