This SGA meeting was held on the 31st of January, 2024
Climate Check
President Danny Nguyen began Climate Check by reminding all SGA members that they would be attending the Venus Williams lecture after their meeting. SGA members, Nguyen said, were expected to sit together.
Junior Senator Allison Waters asked about a possible prom event geared towards junior and senior students who didn’t get to experience prom in high school as a result of COVID. President Nguyen said, logistically, there were no obstacles preventing the event from happening other than the SGA budget. Vice President Caterina Mora added that, while SGA funds were tight, other organizations on campus, including the Student Programming Board, could potentially help fund a prom event.
President Nguyen then recapped the Spurs Night Out event, calling it a great success with rave reviews from members of administration and students alike. He added that SGA hopes to continue funding the event in the future to provide students with the opportunity to interact with the larger San Antonio community.
Judicial Chair Pierce Jackson raised concerns about a student having their laundry stolen from the communal laundry rooms in Calvert Hall. Judicial Chair Jackson said he was told the information from a secondary source, leading President Nguyen to recommend thatstudents in similar circumstances contact their Resident Assistants for next steps.
MSA Ceasefire Agreement
The meeting switched gears when President Nguyen moved onto a more serious matter, informing SGA that last Friday, they had received an email from Trinity’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) regarding a ceasefire agreement for the ongoing tragedies in Gaza. President Nguyen insisted that SGA extend its condolences for the humanitarian atrocities being committed in the Middle East but said that SGA ultimately would not sign the agreement.
President Nguyen emphasized that the mission of SGA is to guarantee that all students at Trinity feel safe, welcomed and supported in their beliefs and values. He stated that it is the place of SGA to foster dialogue, provide resources and encourage education opportunities, including those that MSA might provide. Additionally, President Nguyen reiterated SGA’s commitment to wellness and belonging, highlighting resources like Tiger Care Live and Counseling Services that are available to students.
Junior Senator Harrison Tinker asked President Nguyen if SGA’s stance on the ceasefire agreement was meant to reflect the university’s, which President Nguyen denied. Again, President Nguyen said that SGA is more than willing to have difficult conversations in order to spread awareness and education to students in the name of wellness and belonging.
Quickly after, Junior Senator Joy Areola also posed a question to President Nguyen, asking if he was comfortable having that conversation to further explain the separation between SGA and the university’s stance on the proposed ceasefire agreement. President Nguyen affirmed that he, of course, is available to share thoughts or concerns with any member of Trinity’s community, especially those in SGA who may disagree with the official stance on the matter.
President Nguyen’s last comment for the night was a request for SGA members not to share the decision on the MSA ceasefire agreement until the official response was sent out later that night.
