SGA holds first meeting, elects new chairs

Nearly 30 students filled Spertus Lounge for the school year’s first Student Government Association meeting electing four new committee chairs — Academics, Campus Life, Communications and Political Affairs — and producing a large amount of new senators.

SGA members said they’re putting a strong focus on being the voice of the students. That includes hosting events and panels, passing resolutions and participating in student advocacy opportunities.

The executive board, which consists of the president, vice president, treasurer and student trustee, led the meeting by welcoming new senators with icebreakers and introductions.

SGA president Channing Redditt distributed meeting agendas and senators were required to fill out their office hours before moving into the committee chair elections.

“Basically, the office hours are a time for you to get any type of work done,” Redditt said. “It’s your time for you to be in the office where students can come in and talk to you if they have questions, concerns or want any information that you may be able to give to them.”

Redditt stressed that senators can fill in their one weekly office hour through tabling and use the resources available in the SGA office to do homework and study in a quiet environment.

The SGA offices are in Wabash 322-H, near the Center for Student Involvement office.

Student trustee Ari Shroyer described SGA policy and said it is very similar to parliamentary procedure. That is a procedure based on a universal set of rules: how to interact with fellow senators, communicate during a meeting and yield the floor after speaking. The procedure is varied slightly to conform to university policy.

Senators were then allowed to either self-nominate or nominate another student for a committee chair position.

Nominated senators were given the floor for two minutes to persuade their peers on why they deserved to be elected.

“You are the mouthpiece of your committee,” Shroyer said. “That means you’re the mouthpiece when it comes to working with us as an Executive Board. You’re the mouthpiece when it comes to working with any other student organization on campus. You are the central figure for your committee, and it’s your responsibility to make sure that the senators in your committee are showing up and that they have an assignment.”

Shroyer made a motion to use secret paper ballots, which was seconded and passed unanimously. However, for the communications and political affairs positions, there was a voice acclamation vote, meaning a verbal vote based on majority-rule.

A five-minute recess followed the elections, where senators got the opportunity to meet their newly elected committee chairs and decide which committee they wanted to join.

Senators are required to be in a least one committee.

SGA is expected to meet every Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Spertus Lounge - will you be there? Discuss issues important to you with @RU_ SGA and @RUTORCH