SGA members express concerns, gratitudes and reflections on the semester
During the Student Government Association's Sustainability Committee meeting on Dec. 2, committee chair Kathryn House invited committee members to share any concerns they had with the committee, or with the association's House of Representatives, Senate and General Board meetings.
Students shared both praise and concerns for all areas, with the common consensus being that things started slowly and now feel like they're on stabler ground.
Senior Zackery Breasbois said it's his first time being in SGA, and he feels as if "there is no (clear) leader" for the meetings. He also said he feels like progress hasn't been made much during his time at SGA.
"It really felt like I came here for two hours to sit and clap," he said. "Like, we didn't do anything for the first three months. I was talking to people who've been here last year and a lot of people last year said 'Man we used to make changes, make things happen,' and I don't think we've done anything really (this year).
"I'm really excited to be here and I really do like meeting everyone and talking with everyone. But it just feels like the leadership has failed. I wish people ... could command and get meetings moved along, get us to the point and bring us together to make things happen."
At a later meeting that night, SGA President Carolina Hernandez Ruiz encouraged students to continue voicing any concerns they had with SGA's current structure and operations through surveys or directly contacting the administration. She said the cabinet would take these responses and use them to improve the association next semester.
"We value all of your opinions, and we try really hard to implement your ideas," Hernandez Ruiz said. "We're trying to be mindful with the time and, again, just make this meaningful for all of you."
Other concerns that multiple members shared included:
- Meeting times being too short or too long for the information that needed to be shared in them (Many said they would like longer committee times but shorter general board meetings)
- Some elections feeling unnecessary if the candidates would win by default
- Some smaller pieces of information being shared at strange times, such as upcoming events talked about in general board that could be shared in committees instead to save time.
There were concerns shared about the Sustainability Committee's meeting structure as well, such as misusing sustainable terms, not having enough time to discuss things when separated into "breakout groups" for planning and lengthy introduction times for newer committee members.
Being thankful
During the general board meeting, students were invited to write one thing they were thankful for on a sticky note and attach it to a dry erase board, or the "SGA Gratitude Board."
The board quickly changed from white to yellow, as it was covered in sticky notes. Students' laughter bubbled and filled the room as they crowded to the front in an effort to add their own notes.
Vice President Aashka Barot said photos of the board would be posted on the SGA's social media pages shortly after the meeting adjourned.
"I know we have a lot to be grateful for (this year)," she said. "So thank you all for sharing."
A semester recap
The SGA president shared a recap of all the progress the association made during the semester with the general board members.
Some accomplishments Hernandez Ruiz highlighted from the last four months include:
- Averaging around 120 students each meeting
- Inviting guest speakers from the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Pink Africa Foundation, the Mount Pleasant City Commission and more
- Attending the National Student Government Summit in Washington, D.C
- Hosting events such as the Breast Cancer Awareness event and Fire Up All Night
Hernandez Ruiz said the association is also planning two more large-scale events for the spring semester: A scholarship fair being held sometime in February and a TEDx conference with both student and faculty speakers.
She said the association is also working on an initiative to provide more reliable transportation for students on campus, and that more details would be revealed next semester.
Hernandez Ruiz said this semester has been "thrilling and empowering" for her. She said next semester, she's looking forward to planning more events, working on legislation and giving back to the student body.
"SGA isn't just this room, we represent the student body," she said. "People voted for us because they believe in us. We wouldn't be here without student support, and they (students) can expect (that support) to be given back to them."
Next semester, Hernandez Ruiz said students should expect SGA to hold more initiatives and have more presence on campus.
In other events:
- SGA’s meeting location has been changed to the University Center Terrace Rooms until further notice. This is due to renovations currently occurring in the UC Auditorium.
- The Academic Affairs Committee held its Academic Wellness SGA event from 7 p.m to 7:45 p.m in Room 307 of the UC. The event was open to all general board members, who had pizza and cupcakes, and attendants could also grab fidget toys and coloring sheets to take with them.
- The House of Representatives held a brief Student Budget Allocation Committee election for their Hardship Committee, as they have to re-elect members each semester. The two Representatives elected to serve as Hardship Committee members were Andrew Ward and Jessica Carnavron.
- The House also took feedback from students on ways they can improve SGA bylaws next semester. Submissions were anonymous, but the most common response included providing hybrid/online alternatives to meetings and updating the attendance rules to allow for more excused absences.
- Barot said that there will be a progress update from the judicial branch at the start of the spring semester.
- Chief of Staff Aubrey Macintosh and Treasurer Akua Acheampong said they are working on a bussing system for students who will be staying on campus during the winter break. Macintosh said the busses would run to ALDI and Walmart so students could stock up on supplies. She said more details would become available in the near future.
