By Matthew Fowler, A&E Editor
Newman’s sports teams are not the only groups traveling to meet with other schools in the MIAA conference.
Newman’s Student Government Association last month sent four members to Kansas City to participate in the first All-MIAA SGA conference. The members who attended learned how Newman’s SGA is faring compared to others in the region and brought back new ideas on how to improve Newman.
Those who went were SGA President Alondra Valle, Vice President Nathan Huie, Secretary Elise Helfrich, and Senate Leader Nathan Galicia.
Valle said that the opportunity to meet with SGA members from other schools gave Newman’s SGA a frame of reference for how successful it had been throughout the school year.
“We learned we are in a good standing,” Valle said. “We have passed bills like Narcan, free feminine products and security cameras that other SGAs in our division are either working on or don’t have enough support for.”
The Narcan bill was passed Feb. 13 and will place the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan in the AED cabinets around campus. Also, SGA’s clubs committee passed a bill on March 21 that funded the restocking of feminine products in restrooms around campus, and the bill funding the security cameras was passed last school year.
Meeting with the other schools, Valle said, allowed Newman’s SGA to begin building relationships with regional SGAs, and members were encouraged to see the dedication other SGAs had to their student constituents.
“My biggest take away is how passionate all of our schools are to make our schools more accessible and inclusive,” Valle said. “We also know that none of this is possible without the support of our student body, faculty, and staff.”
The conference will be held annually, and Newman’s SGA plans to attend in the future, Valle said.
“We are excited that this is now going to be a yearly thing. (We are) hoping it only grows,” Valle said.
PHOTO: Courtesy photo
