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Tuesday’s Senate meeting was centered on an activities and events request made by WCWM, the College of William and Mary’s student radio station.

The Student Assembly senate passed bills addressing rape culture at the College of William and Mary, changed the SA code and constitution, and funded the 2014 TEDx William and Mary conference and I Am W&M Week events at its their meeting Tuesday night.

Residence Life at the College of William and Mary has done a commendable job ensuring housing for its students. That said, some could benefit from a gender-neutral option. Men and women sharing a dorm room and bathroom on campus may deviate from the norm, but it would improve life for LGBTQ students.

Yes, it’s a little weird in here. Oh, but it’s wonderful.

For College Republicans First Vice Chairman Evan Meltzer ’14, marriage is the union of a man and a woman, as defined by the Bible. For LGBT community member Josh Layne ’15, the Bible has nothing to do with it. The Supreme Court of the United States faces a similar dilemma in its deliberation of the cases Hollingsworth v. Perry and Windsor v. United States. The rulings of these two cases have the potential to either overturn or uphold certain legislation currently restricting same-sex marriage in the United States.

The Campus Climate Index, a new system of rating colleges for their “friendliness” on policies, programs and practices toward LGBT groups on campus, rated the College of William and Mary as a 3.5 on a five-point scale.

It’s the end of the year, and as we celebrate the feeling of renewed freedom from our academic lives, we would like to take a moment and reflect on the 2010-2011 school year with our annual cheers and jeers. Cheers to the Living Wage Coalition for bringing attention to the need for living wages at the College of William and Mary. Jeers to their heavy-handed tactics and tendency to alienate students on campus. Cheers to the College for taking action to create new housing for students. Jeers to the College for privileging some students over others.

I will be the first to admit that I am not overly educated regarding politics here on campus. It is easy to become wrapped up in your own life at the College of William and Mary — classes, activities, social life and everything else can really distract students from what is going on with the Student Assembly. That being said, I made sure to vote in the recent elections. After all, I have always held to the opinion that you cannot complain about what decisions are made if you didn’t partake in the voting process.

On Sunday evening Student Assembly presidential candidates Kaveh Sadeghian ’12 and David Alpert ’13 and their respective running mates Molly Bulman ’12 and Tamara Middleton ’14 took to the podium in a presidential debate. Candidates started off the evening with a five-minute introductory speech, presenting their views and goals, then proceeded into a formal question and answer period.

Roommates ride the rollercoaster of college with us — they experience the good, the bad and the ugly. In those moments of joy, they participate in the celebration. In those late-night meltdowns, they’re a comforting presence. In the end, roommates should feel most comfortable with each other, no matter their genders. I am disappointed by the College of William and Mary’s postponing a decision on gender-neutral housing. Gender-neutral housing is an opportunity for all students to choose a roommate with whom they share a comfortable bond, regardless of gender.