At the first Barnard Student Government Association representative council meeting of the year, representatives outlined a plan to maximize efficiency, develop goals for the year, and put on an event with New York firefighters. Emma Goss brings you the highlights: 

• Breakout Freak-out: The lengthiest discussion of the night was about changing the format of SGA office hours from independent office work—structured similarly to professor office hours—to “collaborative breakout sessions.” SGA hopes this new format will be a more active process than sitting in the office doing work. It encourages representatives to go outside of the office, interact more with students, and become better informed on initiatives other SGA members are working on. Several representatives expressed concerns about logistic problems that may arise if students attend office hours but find the representative are elsewhere on campus. Sarah Steinmann, BC ’13 and VP of Student Activities, supported the breakout sessions and said “with more manpower, reachout is more feasible.” SGA decided to try out the breakout sessions and review their progress in the coming weeks.

• Millie Gives Smokey a Hand: The guest of the evening was Frank Cirioni, associate director of residential life and housing. He encouraged students to come to Fire Safety Prevention Day, at which NYC firefighters will perform fire shows in trailers parked on Broadway and teach students how to use fire extinguishers, and students can race across Lehman Lawn while wearing fire safety gear. Fire Safety Prevention Day is on Thursday September 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Lehman Lawn and outside the Barnard gates.

• Food For Thought: Council members shared their goals for the year. Topics included when to host Barnard’s Breakfast in Bed event for first-year students, how to increase Barnard student involvement in Columbia’s Homecoming activities, and ways for SGA to support the Barnard workers union in contract negotiations with the administration. SGA President JungHee Hyun, BC ’13, told Spectator that her goals for the year are still being fleshed out as she acclimates to being president, but she hopes to get more student clubs to partner with SGA and to take a stance on topics that are important to students but which the administration may not be aware of, such as the contract negotiation of the Barnard workers union.

• Going Clubbing: This Friday is Barnard’s club fair on Lehman Lawn. Over 50 clubs will have informational booths spread across the lawn from 12-3pm, and SGA members will be available to guide students to specific booths.