By Kirsten Mahon/tr news editor
TR Campus students are getting their voice back after the Student Government Association fizzled away over the summer.
The association consists of just two people: Chani Neff, interim vice president, and adviser Eddie Brassart, student development associate. They are working together to recruit new members daily. Students can fill out an application to become a senator or an officer, both of which are paid positions through stipends.
The association was created last fall for TR. A group of students would meet in student government interest meetings until they had enough members to call it a club and vote for officers and senators. The body wrote a constitution, using ideas from other college constitutions that were molded to fit TR.
The problem, Brassart explained, was that not only did appointed officers and senators who made up the association transfer to different schools, but some officers could not handle the heavy load as well as their classes and their family life.
“We can’t pay students if they’re not able to meet the job requirements,” he said.
Brassart said it’s harder to keep a student government intact on a community college because most students are commuters, so the built-in stability of a four-year university where students live on campus isn’t available.
The Student Government Association put up large slates of white paper outside the Student Activity Center, where students can submit their concerns anonymously.
“The main things were parking,” Neff said.
Students have reported their frustration with being turned away from the TR parking garage during peak hours. Neff said she has counted how many spaces were available after being turned away. With a number of spaces left empty, Neff said availability isn’t the problem.
According to Neff, campus police and administrators have decided that students cannot be careful enough during this busy time not to run over other students or personnel entering the college through the garage. Students, she said, are disgruntled about having to walk down the street, up the hill and then climb stairs before they can begin to navigate the labyrinth-like TR Campus to class.
However, Neff stresses that the student government doesn’t want to do too much.
“We don’t want to be that group on campus causing problems for faculty,” Neff said.
To change an issue like the parking matter, Neff said, she simply wants to sit down with faculty and work out a game plan.
Bus passes and student hallway etiquette have also been brought to the association’s attention. Some students believe courtesy lacks among other students in transit between classes. A likely bus pass discount for students using public transportation has also been proposed.
To become a part of the association, students must submit an application and meet minimal requirements. For senator positions, students must meet a minimum GPA of 2.25 and belong to a club, organization or association on campus to represent them. For officers, the minimum GPA must be no lower than 2.75. Officers will be posed with a bigger commitment than senators as they must facilitate and govern meetings as well as act as mediators between the students and the governing body.
According to Brassart and Neff, because the SGA is so small, right now they can focus only on getting the word out that they exist and want to recruit more members. Then, they can react on proposals.
“It’s hard because we have so many things we want to do,” Neff said. “But I am taking five classes and need people helping.”
For applications, students may visit Brassart in the Student Activities Center at TREF 1503C. The deadline for senator and officer applications is Oct. 4.
