The ideal Student Government Association representative is dedicated, persistent, energetic, hard-working and willing to change and impact the community, according to Bern Hazel, the current president of the SGA, and with 37 positions to fill, the SGA is looking for a few enthusiastic and qualified students to make a difference.
For those who are a bit puzzled by what exactly the SGA is, it represents the opinions of the entire student body in affairs that affect student life. Any student who wants something to change should contact their SGA representative to get results.
“The SGA is necessary in establishing a relationship between students and administration. It gives students a voice so they can make a proactive change in the campus community,” Hazel said.
SGA elections for the 2003-04 academic year are in full swing, and more people than in previous years are taking advantage of the opportunity to elect representation.
This is the perfect time to get involved, be it by running for one of the positions available or by voting, Hazel went on to say. The new SGA constitution, adopted this year, created new positions, like 10 members, which, Hazel hopes, will increase participation and diversity.
Elected members must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, be in good “academic and disciplinary standing” and follow previously set forth election guidelines.
Voting for class representatives will take place from days April 29 through May 1 in the Widener Center Food Court and the cafeteria during meal exchange. The five freshman positions will be filled in August of next year. The executive board has already been chosen.
“Voting can be the first step in making a choice in impacting the campus,” Hazel said.
Many students had great odds in winning, since they found themselves with no opponent. Sophomore Amanda Brown was in this position and she said she would have promoted herself in many different ways if someone had run against her. She would have hung posters and encouraged people to vote for her. “I might have begun an IM chain like the one used for Jesse Gluckman.”
The lack of candidates was a big issue this election year. There were a few positions that no one ran for at all and a blank space was left on the ballot for a name to be written in.
There are two senators for each class, but there are none for next year’s junior class. In fact, one of the major spots in the executive board is empty. No one ran for the vice president of student activities and there are still two spots open in the 10 members category.
Some people hope things will be slightly different for the next year. Brown hopes the next year will be more of a competition. “Most positions only had one candidate who was running and a couple had to be written in. The 10 member ballot didn’t even have 10 people.”
Posted to the Web by Lauren Joseph
