First, we need to congratulate Participatory Budgeting at QC. Getting ideas—let alone 12—for students to vote on is a major achievement and highlights just why activism is vital for students.
The Knight News reviewed each of the 12 proposals that students will vote for from April 18 to April 21. We decided three ideas that students should vote for: composting, heating and air conditioners, and a stage ground for theater.
Composting, for those unfamiliar, is turning organic material, like food, into soil. It’s found in nature, but it is done by people too.
The idea would help Fitness, Nutrition and Exercise Science professor Claire Consiglio’s class. But it also keeps the college green, a goal it often pushes with renewable energy. This would strengthen that mission.
Another choice is adding heating and air conditioners in classrooms. There are some buildings that suffer from issues relating to heat or conditioning. Students and professors cite the lack of a heater or air conditioner as a problem. Even some transfer to other classes because of this.
So why not solve this issue by voting for it? Current and future students will reap the benefits made possible through this possible.
Our final choice is a stage ground for King Hall. In our back issues, we sometimes cover theater on campus that includes students. We applaud these students’ efforts and think a stage ground could support not only the students, but also the professors too.
We want to emphasize that these are suggestions students can take. Anyone can disagree and say other ideas are preferable. Besides, the point of participatory budgeting is allowing students the right to choose.
Still, we think these are the best ideas. After voting ends after April 21, we hope they are enacted.
Until then, we’re excited to see the results.
