Dining and Residential Life
Standing up for Independent Students
The University’s recent decision on dining and residential life, its cited reasons behind it, and the way it was communicated are emblematic of the issues with University administration and USG currently. The students most impacted by these dining decisions, those who are currently independent (or want to be in the future), were left out of the initial decision-making process almost entirely. I’m proud to have led USG’s campaign to push back on these changes along with our current President, VP, and USLC chair, but there is still much more work to be done. Here’s how I’ll continue the fight as President:
Organize Independent Students
Unlike students in Eating Clubs or Co-ops, Independent students lack a student group to advocate for themselves as a collective or a formal group of alumni (like the GICC) to pressure the University. This semester, I’ve helped organize independent students to meet with University administrators and express their concerns, which I believe was integral to the University walking back some of its changes and opening conversations for a separate room draw, which would prioritize access to kitchens for the students who most need them.
As President, I would build on this work by creating an Independent Student Advisory Board through USG, empowering them to speak with one another and University administrators to continue to advocate for themselves throughout this process. This group would have a key role in making the new room draw process and help with building opposition to the dining changes as a whole by reaching and mobilizing a group of students who have been marginalized on campus for far too long.
Using Referendum #2
I’m happy to have successfully pushed for a Senate-initiated referendum opposing the University’s dining changes, which I believe will show widespread opposition to the changes across the student body. After the referendum is passed, it is on USG to use it to advocate for students’ beliefs in regards to the dining changes by writing a position paper and transmitting it to University administrators.
However, this cannot be the end of our advocacy. Time and time again, the University has shown not to care for students' opinions when transmitted through the referenda process, and USG must do more follow-through on this referendum and subsequent ones to ensure students' voices are given a place in the policymaking process, especially on an issue so closely intertwined with student life.
As President, I would use Referendum #2 as a starting point to organize USG and the student body around opposition to changes to dining and residential life that will disastrously impact students from a variety of backgrounds on campus. I would work with the next USLC chair and the wider Senate to bring administrators into contact with the students impacted by these changes, showing both individual and widespread opposition to these proposed changes until they are rectified.
Oversight and Accountability
If the University continues with its changes as currently proposed, I would aggressively follow through on the outcomes for students and campus life as a whole.
In my current conversations with administrators, they do not seem to have a strong idea of what meal options, co-ops, eating clubs, or places off-campus students who would have gone independent will opt for; I will ensure that this data is publicly available so USG and students can continue to advocate for the reversal of these policy changes if they are implemented once their effects are revealed.
Co-ops, Eating Clubs, and USG
Expanding Co-op Capacity
If the University’s proposed changes to dining and residential life are enacted, Princeton’s current co-ops will likely all reach capacity, and many students will be unable to join one.
As President, I will hold the University accountable to its commitments to expanding Co-op capacity and work to put Co-op leaders in contact with University administrators so they can be adequately supported and voice their continued opposition to the University’s decision. I would also work on finding spaces for new Co-ops on campus until Hobson College opens with its new Co-op space in 2027.
Facilitating Conversations
The intense pushback the University faced from the Interclub Council (ICC) and Graduate Interclub Council (GICC) was the result of a lack of conversation taking place between administrators and these important bodies, which represent so many Princeton students and alumni.
As USG President, I would create space for consistent meetings and conversations between Eating Clubs, Co-ops, USG, and University administrators to ensure that nobody is left out of the loop on possible changes again and that pushback comes before a policy is enacted instead of after input has supposedly already been taken into account and policy changes have been announced.
