SGA discusses meeting with President Daniels and plans for upcoming tabling events

The 112th Student Government Association (SGA) convened on Tuesday, Oct. 1 for their weekly meeting. 

The meeting began with a discussion regarding the fences recently installed around Milton S. Eisenhower Library (MSE). SGA is unaware of why these fences were put up and how long they may remain. 

Updates from executive SGA members continued. An SGA member will be included in an advisory board for the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center. Interest was also expressed for an SGA member to join the I.T. advisory board to express undergraduate concerns, including printing issues around campus. 

Members then discussed the most recent SGA meeting with President Ronald J. Daniels, which took place on Sept. 30. The meeting with President Daniels involved Student Body President Stone Meng, Student Body Vice-President Amy Li, President of the Senate Nasreen Naqvi, Executive Secretary Buse Koldas, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Rachelle Hernandez and Dean of Students Brittini Brown. The three main points on the agenda were campus construction, transportation and diversity in admissions. 

In the meeting, SGA members pointed out the many complaints about the current replacements for MSE. They recommended opening unused Gilman classrooms and the Pava LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship and adjusting the Imagine Center’s hours to accommodate study times. When informed about broken desks in certain spaces around campus, Daniels recommended adding student representatives to the classroom committee led by the Registrar’s office.

SGA members also communicated issues of the transportation department’s funding limitations, Transloc glitches and shuttle delays. Finally, SGA members brought up student concern surrounding the decreased diversity in student admissions. Despite the strict ruling striking down affirmative action, Daniels is committed to ensuring diversity in future admissions. SGA hopes to meet with Daniels every month in the future. 

Later, Yashas Mallikarjun was elected as Chair of Student Organizations. The position for Senate Vice President is currently vacant, and elections for the position will be held soon. 

Two bills were proposed and subsequently passed. The first was presented by Senator Cynthia Sanchez Hidalgo, an initiative to fund a tabling event in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The event will include distributing paletas (Mexican ice pops) from local business, La Neveria Michoacana, and is scheduled to take place next Thursday, Oct. 10. 

The second bill, presented by Srigouri Oruganty, proposed a Health, Safety and Sustainability Committee tabling event in recognition of National Health Education Week, which is during the third week of October. The event will include health related giveaways (mini hand sanitizer, stickers, tissue packs and Emergen-C) and a raffle for air purifiers. This event is scheduled to take place on Oct. 23 at 12 p.m. on the Breezeway.