State of the students held, sans students

By Rachel Morse, Multimedia Editor 

The University’s Student Government Association hosted the State of the Student’s annual address at 7pm, Tues. Jan. 29 in the Bass Atrium of the Wanda L. Bass Music Center. SGA intended the event to inform the student body about what their government accomplished last semester and  their current plans for the future, SGA President Robin Ladd said.

“State of the students is a really great place to learn about the different things that we have been doing and will do,” she said.

However, many empty chairs and few responses to the Senate roll call limited the reception of Ladd’s message. While anyone is welcome to attend the event, this year’s attendance is nothing new, Ladd said.

“Usually it’s a campus wide event,” she said. “I was here last year and it was the same.”

Terrance Craft, vice president of SGA, said hosting the event later in the evening may be a reason for the limited attendance .

“People have classes this time of night, and we have a long day, long classes,” he said.

What students were intended to hear were several addresses from President Robert Henry, student senators, and Ladd. The SGA President listed what the student government accomplished this past semester and what improvements were made among the branches of government.

The list included, but was not limited to:

-Writing a resolution containing SGA’s opinion on the reinstated space allocation policy of Meinder’s School of Business

-Stating student senate provided  $30,000 dollars to student organizations though the appropriations and allotment processes

-Setting a record in Free Movie Night attendance with 960 students participating in the Jan. 24 event

-A more active student court, easier to access by students

-Bringing Taste of the Town to campus

-Continuing the successful Star Connect program

-A collaboration between branches to create open mic night at Alvin’s Cafe

On the roster for the future, SGA will merge the university event OneGive with Earth Day. The collaboration will include five different events, plant it, imagine it, chunk it, dump it, and dim it. The administration is also renewing conversations for a student bill of rights, created during the administration of former SGA president, Emma Velez.

“Keep your eyes an ears peeled for the student bill of rights,” Ladd said. “That is something we are hoping to accomplish by the end of this semester.”

Ladd said the address was intended to educate students, but she also said wants the campus to know their representation is available and here for them.

“And that’s the main issue I want to communicate, that if there’s an issue you have, if there’s something you want to talk about, we’re here for you.”