On Wednesday, Jan. 29, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student Association (SA) swore in Chloe Childers, Rae Lutsey and Jolani Lujan to fill the following seats, respectively; Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL), the Pride Center and Asian Latinx African Native American+ Womxn (ALANA).
Director of REC Sports Jeff Keenan then spoke to SA about actions the REC will take to address overcrowding. The UWL student body is an incredibly active one, he said, as 84% of students engage in REC Sports and over 93% of those students feel that it adds to their quality of life, mental health and overall well-being. Keenan said beginning next year, the Fitness Center’s hours will be extended to 11 p.m. and the hours for the Hetzel Fieldhouse and climbing wall will be extended as well.
To accomplish these goals, more staff will be added to the over 200 student employees at a cost of about $14,000. The second solution he announced involves purchasing five more squat racks for the fitness center and additional equipment for the second level. Keenan then informed SA that the new climbing gym is now open and is twice the size of the previous one. He expressed hope that extended hours and added equipment will allow students to disperse when utilizing the space and that further solutions can be reached in the future.
Once Keenan gave his final remarks, Vice Chancellor and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion, Stacy Narcotta-Welp and Nevin Heard, welcomed questions from the SA body.
Senator Piarulli asked if Trump’s executive order to freeze federal student loans and grants would impact UWL students. Narcotta-Welp assured SA that the order has been rescinded and will not affect student funds for the semester.
Without any old or new business to address, SA adjourned and will meet again Wednesday, Feb. 5 to discuss possible resolutions.
