June General Meeting

6/12/23

Present: CH, NA, MF, MG, NK, TN, SM

1. Funding Requests - Nadege will send budget approval emails
   1. Kelp Potluck - $300 approved budget
      1. Grill, trashcans, etc requested through APO
   2. Summer Pig Roast (late july)
      1. $700 requested budget
      2. $600 last year, increased for inflation
      3. Still have plenty of budget for large summer events like this 
   3. First Year Naming Ceremony (6/27)
      1. Jeanne requested $500, may lower this amount a bit in the approval
      2. Concerns from current first year class that naming tradition might be coming across as not fun
         1. Maybe in the future the second year class can pick 3 choices and the first years get to pick which one they want?
         2. Maybe let the current first-years rename themselves?
         3. ACTION ITEM: reach out to Jeanne and see what’s going on, make sure the naming tradition is contributing to community building instead of the opposite - Megan & Nadege
   4. June Social Hour?
      1. Can use JP orientation instead of june social hour
      2. MIT-side low key event with food?
         1. Killian court snacks and lawn games
   5. JP swag order using p-card 
      1. Card will probably not arrive until mid-late july? Or wait until the next cycle of reps?
      2. Tricia can place swag orders if we need them sooner
      3. 4imprint is the usual MIT-approved vendor
      4. ACTION ITEM: Reach out to Veevee & Emily about planned swag items & timeline; swag ships to Tricia, then is sent to the Cape
         1. Also reach out to people coordinating first-year naming ceremony, see if they need stickers for the event - Megan
2. Jelly Talks - Cora, Nadege, Natalie
   1. Last year they happened on wednesdays, alternated between clark & smith
   2. Offer as a weekly slot, if no one signs up then can skip that week
   3. Nadege will try to reserve rooms
   4. Cora will put together spreadsheet with dates/times/rooms
   5. Maybe not ice cream, too messy and usually melted
   6. Chips, cookies, fruit, ice cream bars or popsicles?
3. Steinbach Scholars
   1. G&G, chem is good
   2. AOSE still waiting to confirm faculty host
   3. Do we still have the dinner at Fenno? Last year it was only students who attended
      1. ACTION ITEM: Natalie will poll AOSE faculty to see if they would attend a dinner with the scholar
4. WHOI pay raise/MIT-based JP students
   1. Fellows paid through MIT are paid differently than those paid through WHOI
   2. Max’s question still not clearly answered
   3. APO doesn’t have an answer yet because they are not the ones at the WHOI bargaining table
   4. Would be helpful to have some statement communicating who is at the bargaining table and who to address concerns to
   5. Typo in WHOI funding emails to students ($4000/yr not per month)
      1. “This 10% stipend increase ($4169/month) for the WHOI JP graduate students is in recognition of global inflationary pressures, the regional housing crisis, and the unique costs of living that are faced by all living and commuting to Woods Hole and Cape Cod.”
   6. Union rep has been notified, can coordinate with them
   7. Rob Evans is new dean, communicate with him instead of Meg
   8. ACTION ITEM: Draft an email to Rob to raise the issue about these funding concerns; students are in many different pay categories - Nadege & Megan
5. Ed council meetings for Dean interviews
   1. 4 candidates - Marc will attend first 2, Natalie will attend last 2
6. Improvements to Student Center
   1. Add monitors & adapter cables 
   2. ACTION ITEM: Nadege will send survey responses to Tricia, then Tricia can determine will issues to address immediately
7. Housing concerns
   1. Wednesday 3pm meeting with WHOI housing committee - Cora will attend