Student Government Association Briefing

On Thursday, August 27, the Student Government Association (SGA) began their meeting at 7:30 pm. Following the swearing-in of new senators, a few brief statements were given by SGA President Noah DeMichele and Dr. Artie Travis regarding their support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The first topic discussed was online learning, the pros of which were safety from the pandemic, and a sense of comfort. The cons are the lack of hands-on learning available to students. There are hopes of annexing a new committee to the SGA by the name of the Civic Engagement Committee. The Civic Engagement Committee’s primary task would be to monitor any decisions made on local, state, and national levels regarding universities so that students can stay informed of what changes may be made to their lives.

SGA Vice President Jessica Thayer shared some thoughts on what is known as the “Big Five”, a group of popular organizations on campus that have a hefty say in decisions made on campus. Her thoughts were that this group should be expanded to allow most if not all organizations to participate in decision making via conference. That way, every perspective is heard, and no organization is altered without having said their fair piece. Next to speak was Student Affairs Chair, Delanie Blubaugh, who focused on accessibility for disabled students. Blubaugh pointed out that a lot of crucial buildings on campus were not accessible by a portion of the student body, leaving some to feel unheard and more importantly, unable to fulfill their role and aspirations as a student. Accessibility issues also refer to improving the on-campus counseling services and gender-neutral bathrooms as introduced by Spectrum Representative Carlee Garitty. Another one of her talking points was a motion to “Reclaim the Red”, a program that would educate the student body on sexual assault, the laws, nature of consent, and which staff primarily deals with assaults on campus.

The most prominent feature of this SGA Meeting was a proposal made by Miss Blubaugh, which was a motion to add a judicial branch or appeals board to the Student Government Association in hopes of creating a system of checks and balances found in most other universities in Maryland. Such a motion requires a constitutional change that must be voted upon but is in development and will be proposed formally.

Other news presented by Reginal Morton, a UPC representative, is there will be no Late at Lane this semester, or any semester hindered by COVID-19, but Morton was happy to announce alternatives taking place August 28, such as DIY Ice Cream, Movie Night in Lane at 9 pm, and a possible bingo event that would take place in the Bobcat Stadium, weather permitting.

One of the more ground-breaking events was a proposal made by a group of students, a candlelight vigil to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to honor the victims of the recent shootings. Such a beautiful idea is no light undertaking and every detail will be thought out thoroughly. It was proposed that candles and water will be offered to students in memory of those passed and in recognition of the ongoing struggle for civil rights. It is predicted that the event will take place on Thursday, September 3rd, at 7 pm. It is desired that one speaker will read a statement given by a consensus of the student organizations that have worked together to make the event possible to keep the focus on Black Lives Matter and speaking out against injustice.

In other news, Safe Ride’s hours will be changed and their new route will be that of the new Loop service, designed to take students to important locations such as grocery stores like Weis.