» By Kenneth Lilly
Room 307 in the MUC may look like a smaller lecture hall, but on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. it becomes the meeting place of the Student Government Association.
SGA President Jesse Brewer, Vice President Mike Rainer, Chief Justice Jawaun Rogers, and Executive Secretary Kelsie Brewer lead this elected group of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students that have a large influence on the policies and environment present at APSU.
As this is so close to the beginning of the semester, SGA is mostly preparing for the coming months and legislation. No new legislation has been put forward this semester, but there are some senators already working on bills to put forward for a vote by the Senate.
One example of their influence is the Peay Pickup trolley.
This service was instituted in 2008 when the SGA voted on legislation created by former SGA president from 2007 to 2008, Bryan Huffman. The trolley is free to all students as long as the student possesses a Peay Pickup card, which can be obtained in MUC 207.
The student Senate, much like the Senate that serves in Washington D.C, is divided into committees that specialize in certain topics. Ranging from the famous Mudbowl, to election management, even to the dining committee, which meets with the marketing manager, associate and the senior directors of Chartwell’s.
The Dining committee meets monthly and discusses new events coming to the café, such as the Tailgate Sweepstakes they are currently running.
The grand prize winner wins a large Pepsi tent, a football shaped grill, two folding chairs, a cooler and hot dogs. Before each home game, the winner of a smaller prize is drawn; this week was Tyler Kepley, who won a Subway Party Platter.
There are seven senators new to the organization, five freshmen and two graduate students. The freshmen are Thomas Thornton, Leah Henson, Nicholas Deans, Courtney Melton and Dillon Bentley-Cassano. The two graduate students are James Demoss and Christopher Tablack.
Next week, expect to see the SGA students in their “Sunday best” as the people known as “The Master Planners” will be paying a visit to the student senate to hear the ideas and concerns of the student body as seen by the SGA.
Students are welcome to attend all student senate meetings to express concerns, give ideas or just to quietly observe how the SGA works, every Wednesday at 4 p.m. in room MUC 307.
