Liz Hornyak: On this week’s episode, the Board of Regents unanimously decides to rename Sill Hall to the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology, EMU’s student government adds two news senators and puts a resolution under further review, and the Ypsilanti City Council discusses street closures and gun violence. I am your host Liz Hornyak, and this is the Eastern Echo Podcast.

On Feb. 18, the Board of Regents approved the renaming of Sill Hall to the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology. This change will go into effect on March 1. The university came to this decision in order to honor GameAbove’s $20 million contribution to Eastern, over the past 15 months.

President James Smith told EMUToday, “We are extremely proud and gratified to honor the singular contributions of GameAbove with the renaming of our outstanding College of Engineering and Technology. GameAbove’s extraordinary $20 million in support to the university over a 15-month period of time, represents the largest gift portfolio received in Eastern Michigan University’s 171-year history.”

GameAbove’s most recent contribution of $5 million, has gone to state-of-the-art supplies, equipment and program updates for the renovation of Sill Hall, covering operating expenditures, and supporting student enrollment and recruitment.

For more information about the programs offered by the College of Engineering and Technology you can visit /www.emich.edu/cet. For more information on GameAbove you can go to www.emich.edu/gameabove.

On Feb. 9, EMU’s Student Government put Resolution 107-05 under further review and unanimously approved the senator applications for Eva Long and Jeffrey Hoang. Resolution 107-05 was written by Parliamentarian Kochman, and proposes that parliamentarian’s voting rights be eliminated. 

Eva Long and Jeffrey Hoang were sworn in as senators by EMU Student Body President Luis Romero. Long wants to focus on food insecurity and Hoang wants to ensure that students and staff do not have class on election day, so that students and staff can perform their civic duty.

On Feb. 2, the Ypsilanti City Council unanimously decided to continue street closures to benefit local businesses. Street closures benefit local businesses because restaurants can take advantage of outside dining, and retailers can sell their products outside as well. 

The Council also discussed possible solutions for the increase in gun violence in the New Parkridge housing development. Possible solutions included reducing the availability of guns on the street, and establishing a dialogue between law enforcement and the community. Ypsilanti Mayor Lois Allen-Richardson plans to hold a special meeting to further discuss solutions for gun violence.

As always, thank you so much for tuning into the Eastern Echo Podcast. Don’t forget to tune in next Wednesday for more community and university news. Today’s episode was reported by Emma Henri and Catherine Lietz, and was scripted by Jasmine Boyd, and produced by Ashlee Buhler and Ethan Myers. I am your host Liz Hornyak and this is the Eastern Echo Podcast. 

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