New Student Government Association (SGA) officers for 2019 have goals this year to be more available to students and make sure they are a resource for students to reach administration. Officers also want to fairly represent all student groups and advocate for equal opportunities for students of all backgrounds.
Junior Kenneth Clouston, SGA vice president, wants to focus efforts on building communication between students and SGA officers. Clouston has not held a position with SGA prior to this administration.
“I want to have more communication between SGA and everybody else because it seems like there’s a big divide in how people feel about SGA, and it almost feels like it’s a separate entity from the rest of the school,” Clouston said. “I want to make sure that everyone feels like SGA is something everyone is welcome to. Everybody can go watch decisions, come to the meetings, talk to us, and we’ll always be open.”
Clouston believes his experience in business will help him improve budget proceedings within SGA.
“I’ve run some businesses in the past, and I’ve done a lot of stuff with money. The VP spot was open, and I thought this was finally a good chance for me to share some of my experiences and my knowledge with the school and improve it or help it any way I can,” Clouston said.
To be more easily accessible to students, first-year Ben Falcon, a class of 2022 senator, plans on hosting “town halls” every month to make sure he is available to speak with the students he represents regarding their concerns or questions.
“At least for this semester, one goal of mine is to host town halls, independent of SGA. I’m going to have one scheduled for Feb. 2. I’d like to do one at the beginning of every month, and it’s going to be on Saturdays. I’m going to sit for a whole day in one location and make myself available to everyone in my class to hear their concerns, issues, interests and then raise them at the SGA sessions,” Falcon said.
Sophomore Carson Bolding, class of 2021 senator, is looking forward to making sure that underrepresented groups on campus are allocated funds and given a voice.
“I’m on the finance committee, the group that helps allocate funds, so I want to make sure that minority and underrepresented groups especially on campus are represented in campus events,” Bolding said.
Bolding would also like to use her position as a part of SGA to continue and improve on the efforts of voter registration on campus.
“SGA has done a lot of things in the past for National Voter Registration Day, but I want to expand that and try to do voter registration year-round,” Bolding said.
Falcon also emphasized the importance of student involvement with SGA, including going to their meetings.
“SGA is very important, and everyone should be interested in it and formulate their own opinions on it. I encourage [students] to come to our meetings. It’s very important that they should go and listen to what is discussed because we not only discuss matters involving the appropriations of their money with the student activity fee but also other issues and concerns on campus,” Falcon said.
SGA holds meetings open to the public on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in the Waxahachie Room in Coates Student Center.
