Encounter News

ENCOUNTER By: Elizabeth Badalamenti Staff Writer News SGA Elects New Senators

Five new senators have joined USF’s Student Government Association (SGA) this past month. These students will be representing their respective classes during SGA meetings and will sit on various committees to assure that student opinions are considered in university decisions. Alexus Maldonado, the newly-elected freshman class senator, is focused on improving the commuter student experience at USF. Maldonado says that she “enjoy[s] being active in [her] community” and looks forward to the opportunity “to initiate change” on campus. Mary Mathieu, SGA’s sophomore class senator, is prioritizing students’ Pending review of Joliet officials, the empty Kmart store at West Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue may soon house indoor and outdoor storage units, a 60,000 square foot grocery store, and one or two restaurants. While the 10.6-acre space has been vacant for the mental health. Mathieu notes how she strives to “[uplift] others during this time of darkness” and has hopes to “[unite the campus] as one USF family to overcome the circumstances of the time.” Juniors Michelle Osei Larbi and Craig Kampmier will be serving as SGA’s junior class senators and have the goal of connecting students with each other and with the administration. Larbi plans to improve dining at St. Clare campus and Kampmier wants to find new ways to get student input on important issues. The final new senator to join SGA is Miryam Perez, who will be serving as a Senior Class Senator. sustainability at USF and plans to work closely with the sustainability committee to make this happen.

Due to the pandemic’s disruption to the end of the 2019-2020 school year, SGA’s senate elections were postponed until mid-October. While five senate seats have been filled, Student Government is still searching for a freshman, sophomore, and senior class senator; two senators-at-large; and a Vice President of Publicity. Those interested in running for these positions should email StudentGovernment@ stfrancis.edu for more information.

The Future of the Joliet Kmart

Perez’s focus will be on improving past four years, it caught the attention of 1801 Jefferson Development LLC, an investment group that intends to convert the space. According to the real estate attorney representing the group, Michael Hansen, if all goes as planned, the redevelopment project will be approved later this year and construction of the storage units will begin in the spring of 2021. More information will be announced as plans are finalized and approved.

USF & Local News covered by the USF Encounter

USF Freezes Tuition and Housing Rates Until Fall 2022

On October 12, USF President Arvid C. Johnson announced that the University of St. Francis will freeze tuition rates for all undergraduate, transfer, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs along with room and board rates for residential students. The decision, which the USF Board of Trustees approved in their October 9 meeting, comes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. According to Dr. Johnson, the university is trying to do their part to help students and their families as they cope with the pandemic. He explains that “by freezing [tuition and room and board] rates, USF can make At the October 14 Board of School Inspectors meeting, the District 86 school board determined that students will continue with fully remote instruction until mid-January at least. The school came to this decision after reviewing parent and employee survey results as well as COVID-19 data for Region 7, which contains Will County. According to Dr. Theresa Rouse, District 86’s Superintendent, “As much as we would like to see students and staff back in our schools, as long as coronavirus planning for college easier and increase the value of our offerings to incoming students.” USF senior and SGA president Rodolfo Perez thinks the freeze is “a great decision on the university’s end, as it will save a lot of students money” and believes “it’s a good step forward in addressing one of the many facets of this pandemic.” However, Perez does worry that students will continue to struggle financially amid the pandemic and hopes the university will continue to provide support in any way possible. When asked for her opinion on the cases remain high, it’s not safe. We will continue to review the data to see when transitioning small groups of students to schools makes sense.” While the district, which teaches students in Kindergarten up to eighth grade, will continue to host classes virtually, families are still invited to pick-up free grab-and-go meals for children 18 years and younger. On Mondays and Thursdays, Dirksen, Hufford, and Washington Junior High schools will have meals available from 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. Dirksen, Gompers, school’s announcement, sophomore Hanna Spodarek thought that the university should work to do even more to help ease students’ financial burden amid the pandemic. Spodarek said she pays for tuition on her own and, despite working two jobs, it has been difficult. When asked the same question, juniors Peyton Dummitt and Shannon O’Brien both thought it would have been a more effective decision for the university to lower tuition rates, rather than just

Joliet School District 86 to Continue Remote Learning Until Mid-January

temporarily freeze them. Hufford, and Washington Junior High schools will run the free grab-andgo meals from 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. Gompers Junior High will also run the program on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:30 - 6 p.m.

According to their website, District 86 includes fifteen elementary schools, four junior high schools, one early childhood center, and one alternative school and, as of September 30, enrolls 10,337 students.