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A blue light phone station on Ho Plaza on Oct. 19, 2022. (Julia Nagel/Sun Photography Editor)

October 25, 2024

Student Assembly to Provide Drug-Testing Kits In On-Campus Housing, Fund Airport Shuttle Buses During Finals Week

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The Student Assembly voted on Thursday to bankroll shuttle buses to nearby airports during finals week, provide drug-testing kits and Narcan in on-campus housing and fund a local student-run theater group. 

Drug-testing Kits and Overdose Resources

The School of Industrial and Labor Relations representative Davian Gekman ’27 sponsored Resolution 10, which will provide on-campus dormitories and social housing units with fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips, date-rape drug testing kits and Narcan. Gekam introduced the Resolution during the S.A. meeting on Oct. 17 and said that he communicated with Cornell Health about the resolution.

“Funding for this will be decided by Cornell Health, who I’ve communicated with and I’ll say that there’s a lot of people there who look forward to seeing this resolution pass,” Gekman said.

Cornell Health will fund the initiative, including costs associated with training housing staff. While Cornell Health currently provides Narcan (an emergency treatment for narcotic overdoses), fentanyl testing strips and xylazine testing strips for free, Resolution 10 makes these resources more accessible to students by placing them directly in residential halls. 

The Assembly passed similar legislation last semester that called for funds to be allocated for such a proposal, along with the requirement of anti-bias and transparency training for all members. That initiative followed a semester of controversy over attempts to block women’s health resolutions by high-ranking S.A. members. 

Data from the Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response shows that Tompkins County’s 911 center received 341 calls related to overdoses in 2023. Gekman said that this resolution aims to increase accessibility to resources in situations like these and increase campus safety.

The resolution also incorporates mandatory training from Cornell Health on resource use for housing staff, resident advisors and Greek-life and co-op housing representatives. Gekman said that while Narcan and other resources are designed to be easy to use and do not have negative effects if administered on someone not overdosing, these requirements mirror current training programs offered through Cornell Health.

Gekam intends to expand these resources to the Collegetown area to support students living off-campus. The resolution provides opportunities for off-campus entities such as Student Agencies and the Lux Apartments to partner with the Student Health Advisory Committee on the S.A. to operate a similar initiative to increase accessibility for students living off-campus. 

Airport Shuttles

Resolution 11, sponsored by the Vice President of External Affairs Simone Chan ’25, will earmark about 4,000 dollars from S.A.’s reserve accounts — backup money set aside to finance similar projects — to fund charter buses to the Ithaca and Syracuse airports during the tail-end of finals week. 

In the past, students have faced obstacles accessing transit to nearby airports due to limited transportation options or high ticket prices. This year will be the second time the S.A. will sponsor this program. 

Tickets for the Assembly-sponsored buses will be free of charge to Cornell students, who will be able to reserve them via Campus Groups on a first-come-first-serve basis. More information will be sent out through a campus-wide newsletter and the S.A. Instagram.

Special Project Funding Approval

Resolution 9, sponsored by the S.A. Vice President for Finance Niles Hite ’26, approved $5,000 to provide special project funding for The Melodramatics Theatre Company, a student-run arts organization. 

Ethan Ordower ’25, president of Melodramatics, said that new microphones are essential for the production of their show, Company. The new equipment will also be available for other groups on campus to use. Ordower expressed hope that the funding will increase participation in performing arts on campus.

All three resolutions were passed without any dissent.

Hamna Waseem ’27 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].

Kendall Eddington ’27 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].