With hopes of a greener campus, SGA has recently expanded its efforts to include a specific task force dedicated to sustainability: SHIP (Sustainable Hopkins Infrastructure Program). On October 23rd, SHIP will host its 3rd annual "Green Idea Generator."SHIP distinguishes itself from other green groups around the nation because of its unique financial advantage. Our university has agreed to finance any green project that has a 7 year payback!

See http://www.sustainability.jhu.edu/student%20programs/idea_generator.html

For this event, students are asked to create an innovative idea, which they believe will lead to a greener campus. In the past, ideas have ranged from creating green roofs, using waste vegetable oil in a JHU power plant,  using hydropower from storm water runoff, and implementing two-sided printing in the MSE.

For the event, students should create a brief powerpoint (no longer than 5 minutes) to explain and defend their idea.  At the end of the meeting, people will vote on the top 2 or 3 projects that they will work on throughout the year. It is truly a unique opportunity that will allow you to combine your bright ideas with guaranteed funding.

For project applications and further information, please visit http://www.sustainability.jhu.edu/index.html.

Proposals are due October 22nd.

If you have any questions, please email Saharsh Patel at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Kim Dubansky at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please join us on our mission to become the prototype of a GREEN university campus.

Our Campus Affairs committee has a new Housing and Dining suggestion box online that we encourage you to check out and use:

http://www.jhusga.com/hdsurvey

Help us improve the quality of housing and dining services on campus!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Campus Affairs committee at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Attention Student Group Leaders:

The Student Government Association (SGA) is pleased to announce a new program to help student groups get their own domain names!

We recently passed an act: http://www.jhusga.com/documents/bills/104-sbf-1-student-group-websites that will fund domain names (not hosting) for student groups that do not currently have domain names.  We will register a domain name for one year, after which you are responsible for paying the cost of it (only $5 a year, can be covered in your budgets).

This only applies to SAC and SGA groups that do not currently have a .com, etc., website.  Through the program you can get a domain name like www.example.com.  It will help you advertise your website on posters more easily, be indexed by google, and help you establish better communication with your members and the student body.

You are responsible for finding hosting, you can find hosting via http://sites.google.com or via the ACM at http://the.jhu.edu/ or via JHU IT (email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more info) or anywhere on the internet that offers free hosting.  Once you’ve set up a site and gotten a URL such as “example.sites.google.com” you can then fill out request.

To submit a request to obtain a domain name, please fill out this form http://www.jhusga.com/studentsenate/domainreg

This is first come first serve, so apply as soon as you can, don't miss out!

If you have any questions, please direct them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We look forward to working with you throughout the year, and this is merely one of many projects that we will undertake to improve your experience and presence on campus.

All the best,

The Student Government Association

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A Resolution Regarding Smoking on the Homewood Campus

S.R-5

1. WHEREAS, the Hopkins Kicks Butts (hereafter, “HKB”) is carrying out an active campaign to reduce and/or ban smoking on the Homewood campus, which it outlines on its website < http://hopkicksbutts.blogspot.com/>.
2. WHEREAS, HKB explicitly claims, on its website, to advocate for the complete ban of all tobacco smoking on campus.
3. WHEREAS, HKB has proposed and lobbied for 30-foot “smoke-free zones” around all campus buildings, peer-policing of anti-tobacco polices, and a fifteen dollar fine for violation of campus tobacco policies, as well as a prohibition of campus events that promote tobacco.
4. WHEREAS, HKB provides evidence, in the form of a 2005 study by Repace Associates, that outdoor secondhand smoke levels are detectable within 23 feet of a smoke source (Measurements of Outdoor Air Pollution From Secondhand Smoke on the UMBC Campus).
5. WHEREAS, the Johns Hopkins university currently prohibits smoking within 10 feet of building entrances.
6. WHEREAS, smoking has been proven to be harmful to one’s health.
7. WHEREAS, exposure to second-hand smoking is also harmful to the health of individuals, including that of non-smokers.
8. WHEREAS, the Student Government Association (hereafter, “SGA”), recognizes the inherent health risks that smoking poses to students, staff and faculty.
9. WHEREAS, the SGA also recognizes a student’s right to smoke, so long as it does not conflict with the rights of other students.

10. WHEREAS, the SGA has reviewed evidence provided by HKB, invited the group to attend a meeting of the Student Senate and present its views, and reviewed HKB’s response to the concerns of SGA senators.

11. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the SGA supports reasonable restrictions on smoking, if it can be shown that the policy changes will positively affect student health and well-being, and that the severity of the problem being addressed is sufficient to warrant university action.

12. THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the SGA also supports the moving of ashtrays to areas 23-30 feet away from main building entrances and windows.

13. THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the SGA also supports the securing of ashtrays, to prevent tampering, and the posting of better signage clarifying current university smoking policy.

14. THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the SGA does not believe that HKB has in any way demonstrated that an all-out ban on tobacco smoking on the Hopkins campus would significantly benefit the overall health and well-being of students, faculty or staff. Moreover, neither HKB, nor any of the studies presented have demonstrated that an all-out ban would be any more effective than 23-30 foot de facto no-smoking zones at preventing student exposure to secondhand smoke.

15. THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the SGA is strongly opposed to the imposition of a blanket ban on smoking on the Homewood campus.

16. THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the SGA is also strongly opposed to the imposition of a fine on smoking and a ban on events that promote tobacco.  The former measure will be difficult to enforce and will unduly infringe upon student rights.  The latter proposal will unfairly limit the free expression rights of student groups on campus.

17. THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, a copy of this resolution shall be sent to Dean Boswell, Dean of Student Life, as well as Dean Burger, Dean of Undergraduate Education.

It is so ordered.

Sponsor: Nick Trenton

Co-sponsors: Affan Sheikh, Archie Henry, Wyatt Larkin

Committee:  N/A

Vote:         In Favor  19        Opposed   7       Abstentions  0

Therefore, the bill: PASSES

Vice President:                                                                      ___________/s_______________

Evan Lazerowitz