By Sarah Stortz
In the midst of all of the activities on campus, student organizations will no longer need to worry on where they will store their materials.
The University of Iowa Student Government voted on Tuesday night to distribute $4,500 to the Lockers on Campus initiative for a year. The money will go into installing more lockers on the second floor of the IMU.
The bill identifies the need for short-term lockers on campus that have the capacity to contain materials for student organizations. It suggests the university purchase the lockers.UISG Sen. John Heinrich, the author of the proposal, said he got the idea after hearing from the Lockers on Campus initiative.
“Student organizations are obviously a huge part on what goes on in this campus. Students come here to learn in the classroom, but the organizations are just, if not more, important,” Heinrich said. “This would alleviate any burdens of not having a place of where to put their things. It’s something that not might sound important, but it could increase productivity of these organizations and increase overall activity in campus.”
UISG passed a bill last month for individual lockers on the IMU ground floor. However, the current bill stated that there could be more action taken.
UISG Sen. Akash Bhalerao voted for the bill because of his involvement in student organizations and how they store their materials.
“I think it’s a basic need for student organizations, especially for the ones who don’t have offices,” he said.
UISG Sen. Abigail Simon voted in favor for the bill as well.
“It’s important to supply student organizations with the resources that it requires,” she said. “I hope they’ll be able to store more belongings and be more successful.”
The plan includes 10 heavy-duty storage cabinets that would be purchased for the Student Activity Office, along with 10 key locks and 10 master control keys.
The locker specifications include four shelves that can carry 175 pounds of material, a 34-inch-wide shelf, a coat rod, and another wide shelf on top of the unit. The lockers would be 78 inches high and 24 inches deep.
In total, it would take $5,815 to fund the lockers.
Heinrich acknowledged the high financial cost of the lockers but said they will be beneficial in the long run.
“It costs money to improve activities and student life on campus,” he said. “That’s what we’re here to do, so it’s certainly worth the money.”
