By Spencer Jacobson, Staff Writer
The Student Government Association is off to a busy start this semester passing numerous bills, but President Marisa Zayat said SGA is still striving for its main goal - to cultivate better communication with the student body.
SGA has passed bills for the formation of a new club on campus called the Shows & Movies Association, another to allocate funds to Black Student Union to attend the annual BIG XII Conference of Black Student Government, bills to fund homecoming activities, and a bill to to put in a water bottle refilling station in the area between the Dugan Library and the Fugate Student Center.
On Tuesday, the senate passed three bills: to fund a 3D printer for STEM Club, to provide food at the spring Town Hall meeting, and to sponsor a Jet Friday on April 5 to serve as an announcement party for election results.
Senate Leader Leah Graham said that SGA has been working on a potential mural project since last fall with the hopes of creating a tribute to the various Newman organizations, studies, alumni, and history.
Zayat said that one of SGA’s main goals this semester is to create an open dialogue between SGA and people on campus.
“We have been trying to find new ways to communicate with the student body and get interaction with them because, in past years, SGA was kind of a stand-alone unit and it really didn't connect with the other departments,” she said.
Zayat said that with this goal in mind, SGA has developed Dining with SGA, where students are selected from a raffle and taken to dinner with members of SGA to talk about their concerns and ideas for improvement.
SGA also plans to continue Free Ride Friday once the weather improves so they can interact with students while driving them to and from classes on a golf cart, Zayat said.
Zayat and senators Graham and Regan Casey said they think that the best way for students to be more involved with SGA is to attend meetings, give suggestions, ask questions, and share their ideas of improvement.
“SGA is the voice of the students, but the students are always encouraged to be their own voice as well. I hope more people become involved in SGA and work together to better Newman’s campus for current and future students,” Graham said.
Casey said that SGA is always looking to improve the lives and experiences of students on campus.
“If anyone had an idea or a dream of what they want Newman to look like or to be, run it by us. The sky's the limit, especially when people are excited and passionate to see change,” she said.
SGA meetings are held at noon on Tuesdays, typically in either the Dugan Conference Center or the Alumni lounge and are open to the public and livestreamed on Facebook.
