By April DeJarlais

The Institute for Global Citizenship is up and running, but many students still wonder how the building will fit into their Macalester experience. The IGC Student Council, chartered in 2006, aims to answer students’ questions about global citizenship and to provide a discussion forum on the topic as it pertains to Macalester.

Since its charter, the organization has focused on showcasing the IGC’s goals through forums, lunches for those returning from studying abroad and other events that encourage conversation about global citizenship.

This year the student council wants to establish itself in the student body and is working on recruiting members and promoting ties between students and IGC administration.

Student Council member Rob Jentsch ’10 said the goal of the student council is to “host the living pursuit of the four pillars of Macalester,” referring to multiculturalism, internationalism, academics and community service.

So rather than perceiving Markim Hall as a vague, eco-friendly building with no clear use for students, the student council sees it as a place to gather student passions, ideas and feelings about global citizenship under one roof-but doesn’t want the “roof” to be a symbolic container.

“[The IGC] is less of a roof and more of a platform,” Jentsch said.

Jentsch and fellow members Zach McDade ’10 and Holly Vander-Schaaf ’10 said the group has no official hierarchy and rotates meeting facilitation. There is also a historian, blog editor, membership coordinator and treasurer.

The student council wants to have participants from every student organization. Any and all students are welcome at meetings on Tuesdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on the third floor of Markim Hall. The student council’s blog is accessible from the IGC’s homepage.

“Our vision is fundamentally about connections,” Vander-Schaaf said. “We’re looking forward to students feeling welcome in the IGC.