A student committee will evaluate safety options for the Lot 14 to Lot 18 south Duquesne Rd. crosswalk.

April Mead, senior psychology major, was struck by another student’s vehicle in the crosswalk on Oct. 16. Mead was hospitalized for three days, two in ICU, with bleeding in her brain, blood in her spinal fluid, a broken leg, stitches above her eye and lacerations on her left arm.

“I will tell you something,” Mead said. “Getting hit by a car – it really hurts. It hurts exactly like you think it would hurt times 100.

Mead missed seven days of classes and said she still experiences short-term memory problems because of the concussion.

Mead addressed Student Senate during the Nov. 5 meeting requesting its aid in making the crossing safer.

“I don’t feel that this will be the last time someone gets hurt there if we don’t do something about it next time it will probably be worse,” Mead said. “It’s the University’s duty to protect its students from unnecessary risks and this is a huge risk for our students.”

She urged Senators to go to Taylor and talk to students who use the crossing, to observe it during the early morning hours and to walk it themselves.

Senate unanimously passed a resolution establishing a committee to look into options on campus and through the city. The issue will kept active until resovled.

“I have no easy solution for this,” Mead said.

Possibilities already in discussion have ranged from creating parking in the grassy area south of Taylor, to a tunnel or skybridge solution.

“My fantasy would be a crosswalk light that would stop the traffic,” Mead said.

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A measure creating a voting record for Senate members was tabled as Senators look into options to record votes cast.

Johnathan Saunders, freshman political science major, was one of the sponsors. He said the resolution would give Student Senate better transparency on campus.

“I think it’s an overall benefit to everyone on campus, it provides something they should have had a long time ago,” Saunders said. “It was tabled because the majority believe it is a good idea and we’re just going to try to strengthen it.”

“I’m not embarrassed about the way I vote,” said Howie Lindeman, sophomore undecided major, “I vote with conviction and I’m certain each one of you do as well so I don’t really see a downside to attaching my name to a specific vote.”

The resolution would record the individual votes on appropriations requests and resolutions and keep them on file for a minimum of one year.”

“If it takes too long then we’ll probably bring it up sooner,” Saunders said. “But we’re gonna try to get it done by the end of this fall. I just say the sooner the better.”

An appropriation request for the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association was held over for second reading since a student representative was not present. Senate filled another seat with the addition of Trudence Camerer, sophomore biology major.