The Undergraduate Senate (UGS) unanimously approved a bill that recognizes EVGR.n Coffee, pronounced “evergreen”, as an Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) service organization and confirmed two nominees to the Constitutional Council during their Wednesday meeting. The Senators also reviewed a meeting with Stanford Recreation and Wellness about increasing campus gym accessibility, passed a resolution that called for improved Wi-Fi and postponed confirmation of the 2026-27 Elections Committee.
EVGR.n Coffee, a proposed student-run coffee shop, was founded by Reed Marthers ’27 and is being developed by a team that includes Brian Nguyen ’28, Mayuko Karakawa ’29 and Daniel Xu ’29, who were all present at the meeting. Xu is a desk editor at The Daily.
“There’s always room for more [coffee shops], especially when … there is a need,” Marthers said.
The proposed coffee shop would be located in an unused auxiliary room near the Escondido Village Graduate Residences (EVGR) Pub. Marthers said the project aims to create another gathering place and expand coffee options for graduate students.
She noted that the proposed space for EVGR.n Coffee currently sits unused. “Why have a nice spot just sit there empty? I feel like this gives us an opportunity to really do something,” she said. “The EVGR Pub is a social hub for grad students, but it’s only open two days a week and at night.”
EVGR.n Coffee plans to operate from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. The team outlined plans to recruit student baristas and establish a six to eight-member board to oversee shop logistics, inventory, branding and finances. The shop will be completely student-run, and the team is working to secure required permits and fundraise before opening.
Marthers said the team hopes to open the shop during winter quarter if the remaining steps run smoothly.
The Senate also unanimously passed a resolution calling for Stanford to improve campus Wi-Fi speed and reliability.
“We all just want better Wi-Fi to be able to do our work and do what we’re here for,” said UGS Co-Chair Laila Ali ’28.
UGS Co-Chair Troy Harris ’27 and Senator Anjali Verma ’29 also reported outcomes from a meeting with Recreation and Wellness leadership about gym equipment and student access to fitness resources.
Harris and Verma outlined potential improvements to the Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation (ACSR), such as anchored equipment and lower-weight dumbbells to accommodate beginners. They also said they expect three additional high-demand machines, chosen based on equipment surveys.
“It’s really nice to see that they’re actually listening to us and implementing our feedback,” said Harris.
Despite student requests to increase gym hours, Harris and Verma reported that hours will remain unchanged. Recreation and Wellness leaders cited staffing availability and operational costs as concerns. Senators also considered why students may be discouraged from using campus gyms.
“Students who have never gone to the gym before have this barrier to entry, like, ‘I’m going to walk into the gym and I don’t know how to use a single piece of equipment,’” Verma said.
Senators also discussed a pilot program for a recurring Fitness 101 session with Recreation and Wellness leaders, which would help students learn how to use gym equipment. The pilot program would offer fitness assessments and personal training sessions that are currently available to faculty and staff employed by Stanford.
Sonja Dholakia ’29 and Matthew Coughlin, a second-year Ph.D. student, were unanimously confirmed to the ASSU Constitutional Council as well.
UGS tabled a separate joint bill to confirm Charlie Schumer J.D. ’28 as Election Commission chair and Anson Omar ’29, Chloe Chou ’27 and William Charouhis ’27 as assistant election commissioners. The GSC unanimously approved the bill 14-0-0 on Monday, while UGS postponed its vote until the next general session.
Senators cited the need for more discussion among members who were absent or were attending remotely as a reason for tabling the vote.
The Senate also approved a joint bill authored by Senator Ethan Alfonso ’27 to support First-Generation and Low-Income (FLI) Student Week, scheduled for Nov. 2-8. UGS and the Graduate Student Council (GSC) committed a combined $3,000 consisting of $2,500 from UGS and $500 from GSC, with GSC’s contribution allocated specifically for a graduate student event. The bill passed unanimously.
“I’m really excited that we were able to up it from last year … and we were able to get $500 support from the GSC,” Alfonso said.