Just in time for final exam season, the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly senate approved a bill sponsoring free massages in Earl Gregg Swem Library through the end of the semester.
Sen. Erin Mee ’11 sponsored the bill and worked with Campus Massage, a company founded by Frank Taylor ’10 and Barry Womack ’10, which will be supplying the massage chairs.
During last year’s finals, Campus Massage provided a free prototype as product testing. The single chair netted more than 500 uses.
This year, Campus Massage will install eight chairs, which have been improved from last year’s prototype based on suggestions from College students. These chairs include calf massages and can recline.
The eight chairs will remain in Swem after finals. For regular use after finals, a three-minute massage will cost $1; 10 minutes will cost $3.
The senate will pay Campus Massage $4,000 for the service, and $1.42 for each use of the chairs, with a cap of a further $4,000. All massages after the 2,800th will be complimentary of Campus Massage. Students will be able to choose either the three or 10-minute massage at no charge.
Campus Massage has also promised to reimburse the SA for possible downtime on any chairs.
The bill passed 15-1 with two abstentions.
The senate also passed the Senior Class Gift Assistance Act, which provides $4,000 to the class of 2011 for fundraising and for hosting events to bring in donors. It also tasks the SA Finance Committee, Finance Department, Undergraduate Council and members of the Senior Class Gift Committee with finding a solution to the issue of not having enough operating income, so that donations by the SA will not become an annual occurrence.
“The Senior Class gift has always had serious problems,” class of 2011 President Mike Tsidulko said. “The class of 2011 has had a turnover of three presidents. When I came into the office, we had $1,000 for the gift. Coming into this year, we had $3,000. So, we have raised money, but not nearly close enough to what we need.”
At the end of the year, the senior class gift is donated to unrestricted funding of the College’s endowment.
The bill passed 17-2.
The Review Board Neutrality in Meetings and the Thanksgiving Break Airport Shuttle Act both passed by unanimous consent.
Sen. Adam Stokes ’12 introduced the Winter Service Trip Vaccinations Subsidies Act to reimburse students for vaccinations needed to go on international service trips.
Sen. Zach Marcus ’12 introduced the Acceptability of the Review Board Act to impeach Allen Blehl ’14, a review board member who issued an independent opinion on the constitutionality of the Impeachment Act, also sponsored by Marcus, which failed two weeks ago.
_Editor’s Note: This article was edited to change the cost per massage from $.70 to $1.42._