Courtesy Photo / OBU
Members of OBU’s Student Government Association pose for a class photo. SGA functions as the mediator between the student body and the administration.
Andrew Johnson
Assistant News Editor
The Student Government Association (SGA) is busy with plans for the spring semester at OBU and looking for students to get involved in the purpose of SGA.
Two upcoming SGA events include One Body United which will be Apr. 4, and the opening of applications for SGA elections after spring break.
The SGA is involved in several initiatives that impact campus life. “We are currently working with our new president to extend visitation hours in the residential dorms, find more spaces for commuter parking and put on events for the community and the student body,” SGA president Clayton Myers said.
Myers highlighted one such upcoming event.
“One Body United will be on Apr. 4 this year and we would love for as many students as possible to come and serve the community of Shawnee with us!” Myers said.
According to the OBU website, the first annual One Body United event was held in 2015. This event is centered around serving the community as an expression of Christian outreach from the university.
The stated goals of SGA are focused on service and providing a voice for students.
Myers quoted the SGA’s constitution to outline what the purpose of the organization is.
“‘The Student Government Association is and shall be dedicated to servant leadership and shall operate as the unified voice of student concerns and the distributor of certain funds to worthwhile causes.’ This is the introduction of our constitution and I think that it is a good summary of what we are to do,” Myers said.
Similarly, according to the SGA’s page on the OBU website, the SGA’s purpose is to “strive to enhance the quality of student life at OBU by committing our- selves to the service and involvement of our fellow students. SGA is the student’s voice in University affairs to make known the student body’s concerns or wishes.”
The SGA acts as a liaison between the student body and university administration.
“One thing I think a lot of people don’t know that we do is our president and vice president have meetings every month with the university president,” Myers said.
“We bring the concerns of students to them but would love for students to get in contact with us directly about what they think needs to change at the school.”
Myers spoke to why he believes the SGA is important.
“I thinks it’s important because it helps students realize that their voice can matter,” Myers said. “I say ‘can’ because if students choose to stay silent on something they believe in or not vote on something, they aren’t helping themselves or the student body.”
He emphasized that students speaking up and participating is necessary for students to have their voices heard by the SGA. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we can’t read people’s minds, so we need people to speak up and tell us what they want to see happen,” Myers said.
SGA meetings are weekly and open to the public. “We have meetings every Wednesday night at 9 P.M. in Stavros Hall that anyone can come to! We would love for students to get involved by attending!” Myers said.
Myers outlined how students can get further involved in the SGA.
“They can also run for senate positions or as a president and vice president pair. Applications will be coming out after spring break and we always want as many people running as possible!” Myers said.
The requirements for SGA senate are less than that for SGA president or vice president.
“For the senate, you just have to be a member of your class and for president/VP you have to have 60 credit hours in residence, serve at least one year in SGA or be an executive for a year in a chartered organization on campus,” Myers said.
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