Hey Bearcats, long time, no see! The Undergraduate Student Government hopes that everyone had an amazing end to spooky season, especially with all the events that happened this week.

It was amazing to see a resurgence of club life, especially with everyone participating in Halloween by dressing up in their favorite costumes.

USG was also able to host a Halloween Costume Contest on Oct. 31 in collaboration with the Office of Student Life and Baruch’s Gender, Love and Sexuality Spectrum club.

Around 30 students entered the contest for a chance to win a $50 gift card or a polaroid printer. There were a range of costumes, from spooky to scary, from princesses, dinosaurs, to beloved movie characters.

USG representatives were also giving away candy and free swag bags to commemorate the holiday. Overall, the event was a huge success. Chair of Clubs and Organizations Jessica Yauri and her committee deserve credit for doing an excellent job spearheading this initiative.

This past week, the USG E-Board also had the pleasure of meeting with President David Wu, Provost Linda Essig, Chief of Staff Kenya Lee as well as Vice President Art King.

In the meeting with President Wu, USG was able to gain more insight into what will happen after the closing of the bookstore on the first floor of Newman Vertical Campus.

USG also opened a discussion regarding whether the area could be turned into a student space, but nothing has been finalized as of now.

While speaking with Dr. Lee, USG was also able to ask about the possibility of a cafeteria being open on campus. The student population would greatly benefit from this, especially considering the lack of kosher and halal food options near campus.

Later that day, USG introduced an academic resolution to Provost Essig, which entails the updating of STEM course codes at Baruch.

This majorly affects international students specializing in STEM subjects, as without the updated codes they are at risk of losing a year of optional practical training in the country.

The Department of Homeland Security typically permits international STEM students to stay in the United States for up to two years of OPT after graduation.

Students tend to use this time to obtain a job and/or sponsor to stay in the country. However, without updated STEM codes, the DHS cannot authorize the two years of OTP.

USG hopes to have the administration resolve this issue by finalizing the resolution and thereby providing extended opportunities for international STEM students at Baruch.

This resolution is currently being drafted by Vice President of Legislative Affairs Ashley Chen and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jason Galak.

Until next time!