General Studies Lounge

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Brody Berg
Date: Mon, Sep 15, 2008 at 12:25 AM
Subject: GSSC Weekly Message
To: gsba@cuvmc.ais.columbia.edu

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of General Studies,

The big news this week are our new council members! We have an incredible group of people joining us including a strong international presence, very experienced student high school and community college leaders and more. Welcome everyone!

Now that Obama and McCain have walked off stage, we can return to our regularly scheduled work on the fundamental issues that concern students.

In this message:

* Housing & Financial Aid
* Dorm Access
* Storybook - your thoughts?
* Your questions

Housing & Financial Aid:

On both the Housing and Financial Aid fronts the council is diving in to comprehensively understand the issues at hand. There are two ways individual students can participate:

* Let us know about your housing situation - on campus or off, or even volunteer for a walkthrough, you can even send us cellphone photos of your apartment if you want - email VP of Policy Michael Rain (mr2593@columbia.edu)
* Let us know about your questions about financing your education - email VP of Policy Michael Rain (mr2593@columbia.edu)

Another housing topic is that we are also working on identifying policies that prevent GS fraternity members from living in UAH fraternity dorms. If you know about this situation or have questions please contact Sophomore VP Joey Spitz (jes2204@columbia.edu)

Dorm Access:

Allowing members of GS to access dorms on the Columbia and Barnard campuses is something the council is working on. We have begun speaking with the Dean of Students office on this topic and with the other three student councils. Let Sophomore President Alex Katz (ajk2153@columbia.edu) know if you have any questions or comments on this issue.

Storybook - your thoughts?

New students this year were greeted by an online community created by the Dean of Students Communication office called Storybook. What are your thoughts about Storybook? Send me your thoughts (bcb2115@columbia.edu). Your opinions would be very helpful as the Dean of Students office reviews how Storybook did and consider how better to receive future students.

Your Questions

Do you have any questions about Columbia or General Studies that you know someone must have an answer to but don't know who to ask? Give the student council a try! If you have a question email VP of Communication Evan Madeo (ecm2128@columbia.edu)

A few questions and answers to kick things off:
Q: Where can I find delicious espresso for ultra-studying during mid-term/finals?
A: These fine establishments: http://gslounge.com/communication/espresso

Q: How do I buy a really awesome but really cheap computer for school?
A: Try this: http://gslounge.com/faq/cheapcomputer

Q: How can I set up GMail to read and send CubMail?
A: Follow these directions: http://gslounge.com/communication/howto/cubmail

Thanks everyone,

Brody Berg

Student Body President
General Studies Student Council 2008-09
Columbia University
http://gslounge.com

(646) 573-3735
http://twitter.com/brodyberg