The Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) held its first meeting of the year this Wednesday, October 2, and discussed a host of new initiatives, including providing more services to students from low-income backgrounds and creating an ad hoc committee to handle complaints about WiFi problems.

The assembly also addressed student concerns about its own effectiveness. BSG President Ural Mishra ’20 emphasized that “the executive committee has come in this year with a real focus on trying to get things done and being super involved in campus, trying to reach out to as many groups as possible.”

Ryan Britt ’22, who was recently elected Chair of Student Affairs following the resignation of Anibal Husted ’22 at the end of last semester, is now serving as Interim Chair until he is officially confirmed by the assembly, which is likely to take place within the next few weeks.

Britt ran on a platform that promised to expand mental health resources on campus and provide support for students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds. In the first meeting he stayed true to his word, pushing for initiatives that were central to his campaign.

“My biggest focuses are going to be on mental health and low-income first-gen students,” said Britt. “During family weekend, I want to have an event for kids whose families can’t come due to travel costs.”

Britt additionally introduced his plan to provide mental health kiosks and health literacy programs on campus.

The assembly also debated how to manage recent complaints about Wi-Fi on campus. Mishra proposed creating an ad hoc committee to work with IT and keep students informed about the situation. The proposal was supported by Aoguzi Muhameiti, the recently elected president for the Class of 2023, and Steven Xu, president for the Class of 2022, as well as Carlos Campos ‘22, the dining and campus services representative.

Editor’s Note: Steven Xu is a member of the Orient.