Swipe Box Discussions On Hold Until Fall

Dog House Grill Sign

Stock photo from Concordia Photo Library

Nora Betts
Sower Staff

Student Senate Secretary Maddy Peters said on Tuesday that a discussion with Chartwells about the possible reinstatement of the Dog House swipe box program will be delayed until next semester.

The swipe box program, which was discontinued two years ago due to budgeting concerns, offered a six-item menu at the Dog House Grill for a meal swipe instead of using Bulldog Bucks. Senate officers and members had expressed interest in reinstating the program in conjunction with the O2GO reusable lunchboxes.

After the death of Chartwells’ Director of Dining Services Bob Agee, a discussion was indefinitely delayed since his future replacement would have neither the understanding nor the previous communications with the Senate regarding this issue.

Peters said that a discussion will only be productive once Chartwells hires and trains a new Director of Dining Services to replace Agee.

“I talked with Jill Baack and Steven Daab, who is the interim leader of Chartwells right now, and it sounds like swipe boxes are going to have to be delayed until next semester because they just aren’t going to be able to have an intelligent and informed conversation until they have a new guy who they can train,” Peters said.

Senate President Julia Witt again asked students to consider running for Senate officer positions later this spring. The Senate has not had a competitive election for several years, and officers encouraged as many students as possible to get involved.

Senate officer positions are paid positions at the Nebraska minimum wage, currently $10.50 per hour. Senate officers are automatically paid for five hours a week.

The Senate’s ad hoc committees – Latin for “as necessary” – will begin meeting in the coming weeks to prepare for the next academic year. Officers encouraged students to get involved by signing up for the Constitution, Budget and Election committees. Witt said she wants to have at least five people on each committee.

The Senate’s Constitution Committee will work to rewrite the Senate’s constitution to better represent the Senate and help the student body.

“We are working on a total rewrite of the Student Senate Constitution this year, so if you want to help us work on that and start off the process of changing Student Senate for the better, come join the Constitution Committee,” Witt said.

The Budget Committee will evaluate club budgets and decide where all Senate funds are allocated for the next academic year.

The Election Committee will review the protocols necessary for electing new senators in the event that at least four students anticipate running for office.