The South Campus Student Government Association held two open forum sessions Oct. 9 to allow students to share ideas as well as voice frustrations.
The first session had approximately 40 participants while the second session saw a sharp dropoff in participation, which was not totally unexpected, SGA president Austin Perrotti said.
SGA has many initiatives it wants to act upon, Perrotti said.
Its main purpose is “to improve the campus for our students, citizens and overall fellow man,” he said.
During the first session, Perrotti said, many students wanted to get a general idea of how the SGA operated. A more specific concern was the cost of textbooks, which Perrotti said is an issue SGA will try to address this school year.
“Our goals for this year include finding cheaper textbook alternatives and increasing club interest and retention,” he said.
A recent trip to Washington, D.C., provided Perrotti and the group with information he hopes will be useful in his efforts to move SGA forward.
“Our trip was to better the initiatives and learn different tips and methods to improve the quality of South Campus,” he said.
The focus is not just on South Campus, Perrotti said.
“We plan on holding workshops to better train the surrounding SGAs and students,” he said.
SGA is currently planning Halloween events, so the officers want students to keep an eye on their email inboxes. Senate meetings are held monthly allowing school clubs to come together and address issues on campus, Perrotti said.
“I ask that all students come to the open forums and senate meetings,” he said.
— Michael Riddick