Five new members were sworn in, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Mitch Karstens spoke on dining changes and the committee debriefed the recent St. Paul Police Department and Public Safety Zoom call at the Thursday, Oct. 1 Undergraduate Student Government general council meeting.

New members

Multiple voices overlapped as five new members took an oath over Zoom. Student Body President Michael Sullivan congratulated newly elected members.

“This is your time to shine,” Sullivan told new members before swearing them in.

The members sworn in included Vice President of Financial Affairs Tyus Edmond, Vice President of Diversity Maria Ambrose, first-year class president Kate Kapsner, sophomore class senator Angelica Franaschouk and Union Park senator Olivia Wong.

Guest speaker: Mitch Karstens

Karstens spoke on the recent closures of dining locations Scooter’s, Stacks Café and Beaker’s Coffee Shop.

There was financial incentive to close the coffee shops, according to Karstens, because they were operating around 15% of its normal business, or about 20 people an hour.

“It’s just not sustainable,” Karstens said. “We were averaging between two and four people an hour.”

Scooter’s, however, was operating around 40% of its projected business. A lack of available employees factored into the decision to close that dining option, according to Karstens.

“We needed to make some strategic pivots,” Karstens said, “and that’s what that was.”

Public Safety and St. Paul police meet and greet debrief

Executive Vice President Adam Revoir briefly recapped a meet and greet for students with Public Safety and the St. Paul Police Department that took place over Zoom Tuesday. Revoir did not attend the meeting but communicated with students who did.

“Two students were kicked off of the Zoom meeting,” Revoir said, “so that led into some things on social media.”

Newly elected Union Park senator Olivia Wong expressed concern that administration left student questions unanswered.

“I personally came away from (the meeting) feeling very discouraged and as if this was almost an instance in which the question was shied away from,” Wong said.

Director of Campus Life and USG adviser Margaret Cahill ensured Wong that administration is planning on addressing these questions at later events.

The council moved to invite Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Kha Yang and Tanya Gladney, leader of the university’s audit of Public Safety, to the next general council meeting.

Club funding

USG approved funding for four new clubs: $250 for ASIA, $1,000 for IGNITE, $1,500 for Computer Science Club and $1,000 for Tommie Marketing Club.

This funding will be used for catering and club events.

“All budgets will be approved based on 25 members, with the opportunity for larger clubs to re-submit budget for additional funding,” Revoir said in an email.

Annie Terry can be reached at terr2351@stthomas.edu.