By: Kerry Garrett
Staff-Writer
The Student Government Association met on Feb. 24 to discuss funding requests and upcoming events and to hear from former SGA president Kevin Schascheck.
The first funding request of $4,000 came from the Student Nurses Association (SNA), who plan to send eight students to Nashville, Tennessee for the Spring 2023 National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) Convention. The convention would not only be a great learning experience for the attending students, but would also serve as an opportunity to increase engagement with the SNA, which has reportedly seen declining membership in recent semesters.
SNA members at this conference will be able to learn from others in their field and familiarize themselves with licensure requirements in each state, so that they will preemptively meet the standards for wherever they decide to move after college.
The next funding request was from the Accounting Association, who were requesting about $700 to reimburse what they had already invested in after being knocked off course post-pandemic. They had always been a self-sustaining group, but as of late were forced to start at square one. The money would be going towards replacing lost items and hosting an end of the year banquet.
Since the SGA did not reach quorum this meeting – meaning too many members were absent – the votes on the funding requests were postponed until the next meeting.
Cabinet reports discussed possible on-campus events, such as inviting artist Queen Sheba in March, collaborating with Titan Pro for a movie showing of Cocaine Bear and planning IU Day later on in the spring.
For committee reports, the Safety Committee discussed coordinating wellbeing and de-stressing events with music and painting. The Philanthropy Committee discussed holding a benefit dinner on April 13 and inviting students, faculty, alumni, Honors Program members and the outside community. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee discussed a Latin dance event in April.
Afterwards, former SGA president Kevin Schascheck spoke about the importance of the communication skills that senators learn. He said the ability to handle disagreements, read constitutions and understand the processes of approval and rejection are vital skills in the professional world. Difficult or controversial conversations, he said, are best resolved by mutual respect and communication.
The SGA meets every Friday from 8 a.m to 10 a.m in SAC 206. The meetings are public and students are encouraged to attend. Groups interested in submitting funding requests can do so via the SGA’s Titan Atlas page.
