Olivia Faulkner
First off, I would just like to thank everyone who came out on February 25 to the Student Government Association’s Pizza with the President event, which serves as a forum for students to communicate concerns and listen to new campus updates that President Hopey is proposing.
As mentioned at the fall semester Pizza with the President event, the new student center will be completed this coming fall with several new campus amenities, such as a dining facility and a bowling alley. In addition to bowling alley, Merrimack is taking the initiative to expand our athletic programs to add a Division I Women’s Bowling Team in order to even out the gender to sports ratio. There will also be a co-educational club bowling team for men interested in the sport or women who would rather compete at a more recreational level.
There are also plans to build the Squashbusters building for the fall, which will feature squash courts, classrooms, and a hangout space. Additionally for athletic amenities, there are plans to build a turf field where Lot M now stands, primarily for the use of the field hockey team and club sports. New tennis courts will also be featured near Austin Hall for our tennis players, and Hammel Court will be undergoing renovations to add more seats to the fan section.
Merrimack is also welcoming it’s first comfort dog this spring, who will live with one of the officers of MCPD and help soothe students during MCPD investigations and interrogations. The comfort dog will also be just another friendly face around campus to brighten people’s days.
We also briefly discussed the creation of a digital Mack Card to access dorms and amenities across campus. This is another step towards minimizing the school’s ecological footprint.
As a proud senator for SGA, I found this to be a very successful event and I was extremely pleased with the outcome. I’m looking forward to writing about these new renovations in the coming months.
