Over the summer, Banks and Soriano pushed for the relocation of the Commuter Lounge and introduced Marquette to Pick-A-Prof, a web-based textbook exchange and instructor-rating system.,”Marquette Student Government President Brock Banks and Executive Vice President Sara Soriano said they have spent the summer months pushing for the relocation of the Commuter Lounge and starting up a new online instructor rating system.

The two also decided to scrap their campaign pledge to increase the number of student advocates from one to four, Banks said.

The student advocate acts as a link between the MUSG Executive Board and the student representatives of all-university committees. In a March 27 editorial in the Tribune, Banks and Soriano suggested four student advocates could better track the committees and ensure the attendance of student reps, which they said was poor.

"We sat down and thought about it and decided to go with one," Banks said. "We were advised by some past presidents as well who said this has been tried in the past and it really didn't work that well."

Banks added that Alec Wollensak, a College of Communication senior and current student advocate, is particularly suited for the job, noting his experience as Business and Government Committee Chair and as the manager of a recreation facility near his hometown of Oak Brook, Ill.

New Commuter Lounge

The Commuter Lounge is in the process of being relocated. Soriano hopes the move will help commuters feel more integrated within the student body.

"The new location is more visible for other students," she said. "It's closer to where other student activity is happening."

Soriano and Banks said they pressed for the change at a meeting with administrators in late June. The former Commuter Lounge will be used as meeting space for student organizations. The move should be completed in the coming weeks, Banks said.

Pick-A-Prof

To fill the void of the currently disabled DogEars, a Web site that allowed students to rate teachers and trade books online, Banks and Soriano signed Marquette onto Pick-A-Prof, a similar Internet program. Banks said around 250 Marquette students had signed up for Pick-A-Prof by May of last year. He said he'd like to see at least 1,000 do so.

"It really is a good company, a great Web site and a great resource for students," Banks said. "If we can get more students signed up, it will be an extremely useful tool for the entire student body."

Banks and Soriano are planning a marketing campaign to make more students aware of the program.

Student Organization Allocations

One concern Banks and Soriano share for this year is that some student organizations have become too dependent on Student Organization Allocations. They created a packet encouraging fundraising and other sorts of revenue generation.

"We want to be able to help organizations put on events they think will be beneficial to the campus," said Soriano. "What we don't want is for the organizations to become dependent to the point where if we can't allocate, the money then they can't put on the event any more."

Other Issues

MUSG may help the administration test a new e-mail program, Banks said.

Banks said administrators approached him with the idea of recruiting students to test Microsoft's new e-mail pilot program. Students would then provide feedback to see if Marquette should switch e-mail services.

Banks and Soriano said plans to tackle the remainder of their platform, including revamped community service and a sophomore inter-living program similar to Global Village, are in the works.

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