The Oxford College Student Government Association (OxSGA) held a town hall on Oct. 2 in the Greer Forum to discuss a new OxSGA committee and alternatives to Dooley’s Tavern. Around 30 students attended the town hall.
OxSGA President Kenan Bajraktarevic (25Ox) began the town hall by introducing the Emergency Ad Hoc Committee, which he implemented earlier this semester following pro-Palestine protests that took place at the end of the spring semester.
The committee is comprised of five OxSGA members who convene outside of their OxSGA roles to provide the Oxford community with communications to issues affecting Oxford, such as the Conyers, Ga. fire and the subsequent haze that led Oxford students to attend Oct. 1 classes virtually, according to Bajraktarevic.
The future of Dooley’s Tavern was another key topic at the town hall. Oxford Dean Badia Ahad wrote an email to the Oxford community on Sept. 13 that the building, which previously served as a hub for Oxford community, is set to be permanently closed. According to Melanie Lawrence (13B), senior associate dean of finance, operations and information technology and chief business officer at Oxford, the Oxford administration is seeking both temporary and long-term solutions to replace the historical building. Lawrence said she hopes to incorporate student opinions into the decision-making process.
“We could be looking at how to make your experience better while also thinking about how we can make those experiences better for students in the future,” Lawrence said.
OxSGA Arts and Academics Committee Chair Braden Newsome (25Ox) expressed a desire for a 24-hour study space, especially with the shortened library hours this semester. Others hoped for a new social space on campus, while some found the two problems to be interlinked.
“One of the issues is the study spaces this year, and a lot of them also comes from the fact that we don’t have a social space,” First-Year Senator Delaney Arnold (26Ox) said. “So a lot of the time, we socialize in the library.”
Lawrence suggested that a replacement tavern could serve multiple purposes. She proposed utilizing the tavern for different activities depending on the time of day and also questioned whether using the space for one consistent activity was the most effective solution.
Dooley’s Dolls Historian Saachi Bedi (25Ox) said she hopes that the Dolls will have some input in the decision-making process due to the historical connection of the tavern to the club.
Architects will come to Oxford and share designs for a new dorm and a “Dooley’s 2.0” sometime in October or November, according to Lawrence. This new dorm will replace the Jolley Residential Center and is set to open by summer 2026.
Bajraktarevic noted that the OxSGA Student Living Committee is in communication with the administration about recommendations and future plans.
