Student Senate Plans to Bolster Campus Presence

By MARIAH YOUNG

Last Wednesday, Jan. 25, Rob Belcourt, Student Government Association president, highlighted five different goals to build a better SGA and University of Mary Washington bond for the spring 2012 semester. The goals include “increased transparency and visibility of student government, improved community relations, improved athletic relations, re-branding the SGA marketing and public relations and sustainability.”

“Student senate is not a political body, we are just a group of active student leaders who want to improve student life at the university,” said Nicole Tardif, student senator and telecommunications chair of SGA.

According to the UMW SGA Strategic plan, the SGA’s “mission is to reinvent the role and activity of student government on campus.

The plan hopes to “accomplish this through positive change and rapid response and flexibility to student needs. SGA will work to create an engaging dialogue, which will inspire real progress and encourage individual involvement for every student.”

Belcourt is excited about what the plan can accomplish. “It is giving SGA a direction,” he said.  “We are trying to re-brand SGA and part of doing that is setting goals. We want to tackle issues that affect the students.”

Another motion proposed at the meeting was making a Safe Ride program on campus, which could give rides to students on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

According to the strategic plan, “Rides will be provided [to students] without question, upon showing their EagleOne card.”

Freshman Peyton Spivey questioned the effectiveness of the Safe Ride program. “It seems to be a good idea but I am not sure if it will make a difference.  It will be interesting to see how the rides will be implemented.”

Additional topics that were introduced included putting reusable cups in the dining facilities and providing peanut butter and jelly at the Joe Stacks sub station in the Eagle’s Nest.

“I feel like today’s meeting was more efficient,” said Sree Gadamsetty, freshman student senator.  “It was more relevant toward student life rather that procedural. We were closer to the goal to improving student life.”

“It was a productive meeting. I was very excited to see portions of the strategic plan brought up through legislation,” said Monique dela Cruz, SGA Vice President. “In the few months that I have [this] semester to serve as SGA VP I hope to bring about progress.”

Alison Thoet contributed to this report.