Allegheny Student Government voted to approve a new proxy representative for the Class of 2019 at its general assembly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Noah Dawgiello, ’19, was nominated by the Class of 2019 to act as a proxy representative for the class Vice President Catrina Steckler, who is currently taking a leave of absence. According to the Class of 2019 President Camila Gomez, the class is appointing a proxy in the event that Steckler does not return.

“As of right now, we are hoping Catrina returns, but we are not sure right now,” Gomez said.

Dawgiello will serve as a proxy for the final two weeks of the semester. ASG President Tess Bracken, ’17, said if Steckler does not return, ASG will decide what to do from there.

ASG also hosted two guest speakers. President James Mullen and Associate Dean of Students Jacquie Kondrot both spoke.

Mullen said he wished to thank the members of ASG for the work they do as leaders on Allegheny’s campus.

“You always have to remember that it is a privilege to be put in a position of leadership, and I think we always have to remember that, and it comes with a lot of responsibilities, and I am always proud of how you exercise those responsibilities,” Mullen said.

Mullen said the country—and by extension Allegheny—are at an “interesting” time. He said this is the time when leaders are needed the most on campus.

“Moments like this call each and every one of us in our roles, for a very special kind of leadership over the next several months,” Mullen said.

In closing, Mullen wished the members of ASG luck on their upcoming final exams and wished them the best for the holiday season.

Kondrot came to ASG to ask for its involvement with her newly reconstituted Wellness Education Committee.

The committee, Kondrot said, had been active for approximately 10 years. In recent years however, Kondrot said it has fallen into inactivity, partly because of her own commitments to temporarily filling various positions at the college.

“For the last couple of years we have been on hiatus, quite frankly because of workload issues,” Kondrot said.

The committee is currently working on a series of new wellness initiatives, according to Kondrot.

The first of these initiatives, Kondrot said, is a contest for a new pedestrian safety logo. She said the winner of the contest will have their design placed near the crosswalks on campus to serve as a reminder to students to cross the street safely.

In addition to the logo contest, Kondrot said the committee has been working to get more students to sign a pedestrian safety pledge, which asks them to stop at the crosswalks and make eye contact with the driver to ensure they are stopping before crossing the street.

Kondrot said the committee is also working with Active Minds to bring a labyrinth to campus. She said walking a labyrinth can be a source of stress relief. The committee is currently considering a canvas one that can be placed anywhere, so it can be used in all seasons.

In addition to updating ASG on the committee’s work, Kondrot said she hopes student government will play an active role in helping the committee shape events that will be beneficial to students.

“Last year we did a pedestrian safety initiative, and we really feel like we missed the mark with a lot of students, so we are really looking for that student voice,” Kondrot said.

Chief of Staff Hayden Moyer, ’17, asked Kondrot if she was looking for student involvement simply for an “extra set of hands” or to assist in the creative development of initiatives. She assured him the committee is looking for student ideas, not just labor.

During the Class of 2017 class report, Sen. Amy Currul announced that the class had settled on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, as the date for Winterfest, a winter-themed festival the class is working to bring back to campus.

Currul said, after meeting with Gator Activities Programming, the Class of 2017 will be taking the lead on organizing the event. The majority of the funds for the event, however, will be provided by GAP, she said.

ASG will hold its final meeting of the semester on Tuesday, Dec. 12, on the third floor of the campus center.