On April 9, the Weyerhaeuser Boardroom filled with members of the Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) as they gathered for their weekly Legislative Body (LB) meeting to discuss the meal plan, hear updates from the Curriculum Implementation Committee (CIC) and receive requests for the Comunity Chest Fund budget.
Dining and Sustainability Liaison Jj Cuneo ’28 then took the stage, reporting on changes within Cafe Mac. They began by discussing potential responses to students’ concerns about the lack of meat separation within the cafeteria. They discussed the implementation of a “meating fence,” most likely made out of parchment paper, that would help divide different meats.
Resulting from a conversation they had with the general manager of Bon Appétit, Amy Tomes, Cuneo encouraged students to submit recipes of their favorite dishes from home to the company, which could be potentially added to Cafe Mac’s menus.
Following the extension of the on-campus residence requirement to three years and the construction of the new residence hall, Cuneo responded to questions about the Cafe Mac’s space capacity to cater to more students. Cuneo clarified that Macalester does not anticipate Cafe Mac’s size being an issue, as the new residence hall will provide new dining options.
“There wasn’t really any concern from the company side, because there would be dining options in the new dorm,” Cuneo said. “I imagine that the students will be using those [more]. There’s gonna be more opportunities for [students] to be cooking in.”
The meeting then moved on to updates from the Chief of Staff, Lina Solh ’28, who represented the CIC. Solh explained that the general education requirements have not been revised since 1981, and the committee is now actively working on further updating them and making them easier to navigate for international students. She then encouraged everyone who is interested in the upcoming changes to reach out to her or other members of the committee.
Afterwards, Cabinet Chair Ainsley Meyer ’26 presented a Community Chest Fund request of $1,500 for an Ethiopian jazz and poetry night. Meyer explained that $800 is needed to pay a local Ethiopian band to perform, and the rest would cover catering. The LB approved the request with all members in favor.
The meeting concluded with Cabinet and committee updates. Residential Life and Dining Liaison Molly Friedrichs ’26 announced that housing selection was successful this year, as more juniors and seniors sought accommodation on campus. She also announced that students can now apply to be resident assistants for the summer. Sophomore class representative Xavier Honor ’28 announced that the final student union bargaining session of the semester would take place the following day, and asked anyone free during that time to come support.
The meeting concluded by encouraging LB members to promote the filing for liaison and class representative positions to students for next year.
