The Student Association Senate announced Monday that Lerner Health and Wellness Center will expand its hours beginning Aug. 23.
Lerner will be open 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays, according to a SA Instagram post. SA Vice President Demetrius Apostolis said during a senate meeting Monday that officials extended Lerner’s hours in response to students’ and senators’ advocacy.
“It’s student advocacy like this that really shows the differences that students can make,” Apostolis said.
Officials shortened Lerner’s hours during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years because of COVID-19 restrictions. Last academic year, Lerner was open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Before March 2020 and dating back to at least spring 2014, Lerner was open from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Senators also voted 18-0 to pass the ARTIST Act during their meeting Monday, which denounces the University’s decision to switch Adobe software packages from Adobe Creative Cloud to Adobe Express Premium. Adobe Creative Cloud provides users with over 20 photo, video and design applications while Adobe Express premium provides users with four applications, according to Adobe websites.
Sen. Andrew An (ESIA-U), the act’s sponsor, said the skills he learned through free access to Adobe Creative Cloud, like Adobe Lightroom, “opened doors” and secured him photography jobs and internships. He said the University “robbed” other aspiring artists of opportunities by switching Adobe packages.
“Together we can call on The George Washington University to restore this vital, creative resource so that all students, present and future, can be given the same opportunity I was given,” An said.
Senators also unanimously approved SA President Arielle Geismer’s two nominees for the Joint Election Commission — JEC Commissioner Fatima Konte and Vice Commissioner Michael Ubis, who both served on the JEC during the previous election. Geismer nominated JEC commissioners more than two months before the Oct. 1 deadline.
“It’s something that I felt was important to do ahead of time,” Geismer said.
Senators unanimously approved nine senate staff nominees and one executive nominee.
