SGA Has Slow Start Out of the Gate

Author: Megan O'Keefe

Student Government Association (SGA) President Samuel Rodriguez '04 has big plans. But with his energetic campaign speeches still fresh in their minds, students are waiting for action.

"Right now," admitted Rodriguez, "what we are in the process of doing still is research and building cases for certain agenda items."

Offering his initiative to provide Middlebury students with free and confidential HIV and STD testing as an example, Rodriguez notes that SGA Under Secretary of the Press Kimberly Kelly '04 has been doing peer school research. "We are making preliminary plans of how we are going to go about making our case before both the student body and the administration," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez noted, "The highest profile thing that the SGA is involved in is making sure that student input is included in this discussion of the merits of J-Term."

While Rodriguez identifies social life concerns as a high priority, a diffuse group of social agenda items are still in their nascent stages. SGA Director of Social Affairs Megan McElroy '04 has created a task force that will examine the number of campus locations where students may host registered parties. While this initiative has not been publicized, Rodriguez said, "I have spoken to many officials in the administration and they are open to this idea. I spoke to John McCardell and he was open to this idea. Certainly there are concerns about fire codes and having parties in restricted locations, but administrators like John McCardell are very concerned with the problem of drunk driving and they understand the need to improve social life on campus. I think we are going to find that they are quite open here."

Another social life proposal brought forth by Rodriguez would allow seniors to return to campus one day earlier than other students at the start of the fall semester if they devoted the Saturday before the beginning of classes to TIPs training.

The perceived silence of the SGA is largely a result of the fact that senatorial elections are to be held one week later this year than they were last year. While the elections will be held within the timeline stipulated by the handbook, SGA activity has been severely limited simply by the fact that the Senate is not in session.

SGA Director of Membership Courtney Taylor '04 said the decision to hold elections a week later this year was made jointly by the Elections Council, Rodriguez and SGA Chief of Staff Andrew Pugsley '04. Pugsley also attributes the late start to problems with the SGA computer system that kept the organization's Web site offline until early this week.

When the Senate is elected, meetings will convene in the Warner Hemicycle, a space with seating for many more students than was available in the Ross Seminar space. Not only does Rodriguez hope that the new location will allow for the formalization of senate seating, but will also provide sufficient space for students observers.

As Rodriguez strives to meet his campaign promise of "bringing the SGA to the students," it is still unclear what roll publicity will play in drawing students to Senate meetings. Despite Rodriguez's pledge, Pugsley asked, "How much of the student activities fee should be spent publicizing senate meetings that not many people will come to?"

Still, SGA Press Secretary Andrew Carnabucci '06 promises, "You will be sick of us before the year is up." He added, "We are going to use different media. We are going out on radio. We are going out in posters. We are going out in e-mails." His committee will focus on strategies for innovative and creative publicity.

The SGA has not been completely quiet. "One thing we have done regularly is our SGA info table. I have dedicated twice a week to do that," Rodriguez said.

With Pugsley and Rodriguez committed to splitting three nights a week at the Information Table in Ross Dining Hall between the two of them, they are optimistic that they can keep the table running regularly. While Rodriguez and Pugsley estimate that between 10 and 20 people stop by the table when it is up in running, the project has been hindered by irregular scheduling and a lack of publicity. "We are still in the process of institutionalizing it," explained Rodriguez, adding, "I think that those that realize why we are there appreciate it."

Rodriguez has also successfully collaborated with General Manager of the McCullough Student Center Steve Reigle to keep Midd Xpress open until 2 a.m. on weeknights.

Having appointed Michael Cooper '06 to oversee the creation of a student grievance network early this week, Rodriguez hopes to work with Secretary of the College Eric Davis in the coming months to launch a Web based grievance system.

"With approximately 30 agenda items we're going to be charging out of the gates pretty soon," Rodriguez said.