The Ohio Union where the general assembly passed two unanimous resolutions on Wednesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
The Undergraduate Student Government unanimously passed two resolutions, calling for the university to better assist the students affected by the shutdown of Taylor Tower and to increase the Lyft ride smart program discount during the first General Assembly meeting of the semester.
In a resolution following the displacement of over 700 residents from Taylor Tower after a primary pipe burst causing major flooding on Saturday, the General Assembly called for the university to find suitable housing for all displaced students.
Senator Christopher Cade, a third-year in public policy analysis and political science, led the resolution.
“This resolution calls on the university to master lease apartments, as they did with Lawrence Tower,” Cade said during the General Assembly.
Ohio State’s current plan was allowing displaced students to decide whether to remain on campus or independently find off-campus housing, per prior Lantern reporting. If residents moved off campus, the university provided a $1,000 stipend to accommodate for relocation expenses.
Ohio State currently has a master lease with StateHouse Columbus’ Lane and Norwich properties after last year’s first-year enrollment exceeded on-campus housing capacity, per prior Lantern reporting. The Lantern could not confirm if the vacant Lawrence Tower influenced that decision.
Senator Braxton Glover, a first-year in political science and public management, leadership and policy, expressed his concerns about the well-being of students on campus.
“It is personally for me humiliating that this university has students that are balancing their first week of classes, with [their] first time being [homeless] and trying to find residence,” Glover said.
Glover said he spoke with some Taylor residents about the displacement to get their perspectives.
“They feel unheard, they feel uninformed and they feel uncompensated by this university,” Glover said.
According to Cade, the Office of Student Life said to students in an email that they would have until Monday, Jan. 12 at 5 p.m. to either break or keep the housing contract, which was confirmed by The Lantern. Cade said if the university did master lease an apartment complex, it would only be for this spring semester.
Another resolution led by Cade, is for Ohio State to increase the Lyft ride smart program discount.
The resolution calls for the Lyft ride smart program discount to be increased up to $6.50 to help those who have been displaced from campus due to Taylor Tower’s shutdown, Cade said.
Currently, Ohio State offers a $4 discount for rides in the university area between 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to its website. The discount used to be $6.50 during the COVID-19 pandemic due to tax law changes and driver shortages, per prior Lantern reporting.
Both resolutions passed with no dissent.
A full statement regarding the Taylor resolution can be found on the USG Instagram page.
