Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 delivered the semiannual State of the Union Address last Thursday in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall, during which he announced that the University will serve exclusively cage-free eggs starting next fall, form a Student Life Committee to "improve" social life on campus and is considering adding a second Provisions On Demand Market in the Village. In his address, which was hosted by the Student Union, Acheampong also announced proposals to expand dining services on campus, including adding hot soups and hot breakfast sandwiches to Einstein Bros. Bagels and building another P.O.D. Market. Acheampong said these expansions would be in addition to changes already made in dining halls on campus, including extended weekend hours at the P.O.D, Market and an express checkout line and an additional coffee station in Einstein.

According to Acheampong, all eggs served here will be cage-free starting next semester. Dining Services currently obtains eggs from hens raised in battery cages, which supply each hen about 67 square inches of space for that hen's life. Cage-free eggs are eggs laid by hens with enough space to move and spread their wings. When explaining the implementation of this policy, Acheampong said, "We have heard that you will not tolerate the purchase of food that requires the suffering of animals." He stated that over 870 students participated in a survey created by the Student Union in partnership with the Brandeis Real Food Coalition.

Acheampong also touched upon Brandeis' social atmosphere in his speech. He referenced the night of Oct. 23, when two students were arrested and nine were hospitalized. Acheampong said that a Student Life Committee, made up of "a diverse group of community members," will be formed to consult with both campus officials and student club leaders in order to better Brandeis' "social atmosphere."

"As a community, we must look at the mistake as times to grow as individuals and as a community," said Acheampong. "The events of that night do not reflect Brandeis, and it has not changed our culture of care and support."

In addition to a social atmosphere, Acheampong highlighted the importance of general life outside the classroom, in residence halls and athletics, for example. Acheampong demanded that the renovation of the Linsey pool and the residence halls in poor condition be a priority for the Board of Trustees.

"We need the facilities and infrastructures to support this community and to put the University on the right track," said Acheampong. "Our students expect better, our community expects better, and our history demands nothing less."

Acheampong also recognized student activities on campus, including the blood drive, through which community members donated 203 units of blood, and Halloween for the Hungry, which was organized by several student groups to donate nonperishable items to Waltham residents, both of which were organized by the Waltham Group. He also mentioned Girl Effect's Hope Infected Virus, an event that aimed to analyze the stigma of those living with HIV/AIDS, and the Brandeis Pakistan Relief effort that, with the effort of multiple organizations on campus, worked to raise $25,000 to $30,000 for the 20 million affected by the floods.

To encouragestudent-faculty interaction, Acheampong announced that next semester, 240 vouchers will be provided as part of the Take Your Professor to Lunch program, up from the 120 previously provided per semester. Acheampong explained that results from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education indicated that a need for improvement of non-classroom interaction between students and faculty.

In regard to academics, Acheampong said that the Student Union will advocate a "pass/fail plus option," which would allow students to fulfill a University requirement with a class taken as pass/fail as long as the student achieves a C+ or higher. Acheampong said that the option would remove students' concern about courses they wish to take negatively affecting their grade point averages.

According to an April 27 issue of the Justice, the measure to implement a pass/fail plus option was supported by the Faculty Senate, but the proposal was tabled by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee until the following year because of concerns about how it would be implemented.

Acheampong also spoke about upgrades in Brandeis' transportation. In addition to the magnetic signs recently added to the sides of campus and Waltham BranVans to distinguish between the two, Acheampong announced that the Student Union and Escort Safety Services will install GPS tracking systems in Crystal Waltham, Campus, and Boston/Cambridge shuttles. Acheampong said that the systems will enable students to track the buses to see their locations and receive programming alerts on mobile devices or computers using their Brandeis UNet IDs.

Acheampong concluded his speech by calling for members of the Brandeis community to work together "[n]ot as students, staff, faculty, administrators, or trustees, but as Brandeisians."

"Years from now, when we come back to visit our university, the Brandeis that we know will be different," said Acheampong. "But the direction of that change is up to us to determine."

Students who attended the address spoke positively of Acheampong's speech.

"I think that he did a great job of highlighting what we're doing really well and also made it a point to push us to take that next step as both students and administration," said Nicole Izbicky '11.

University President-elect Fredrick Lawrence also attended the address and spoke with the Justice about Acheampong's speech.

"The whole tone is set that we can solve problems and work together. Without failing to recognize the seriousness of issues that we face, he still looks at [issues] positively and from a sense of what we can overcome," he said after Acheampong's address.