The start of a Vermont State Colleges Student Association petition to reduce the interest on student loans was the main topic of discussion at the Nov. 20 meeting of the Student Government Association. This petition would start a legislative process that would drop the interest rate of federal student loans to 1 percent.

The SGA will be advertising and promoting this petition, which was initially brought to the table by Castleton State College.  If the petition is successful and the law is passed, Vermont would be the first state in the union to take such measures.

The petition is organized like a contest: whichever school gets the most signatures will be featured on the front page of the petition’s website.  The SGA will begin to move on this initiative once school is back in session on Dec. 2.

Other topics of discussion included the installation of more trash cans in and around campus, as well as the preliminary results of the laundry survey emailed to all students on Nov. 15.

This survey concerned itself with alternate ways to pay for laundry services. Currently, the surveys have narrowed everything down to three preferred options. First, a flat rate for laundry could be added to a student’s housing bill. Second, a swipe card system using flex points could be set up. Third, a combination of quarter payment and card swipe payment could be used.

Furthermore, the plan for covered designated smoking areas has been approved. “Everyone I have talked to wants it,” said SGA senator Josh Hunt. “It is definitely going to happen.”

The last line of business was an update on donations for Thanksgiving baskets, which were shipped out on Friday, Nov. 22.
“We hit the $1,000 mark.” said SGA president Nasser Abdel-Fatah on the fundraising effort.