Letter from the SGA President

Hello, Middlebury, and welcome to the 2015-2016 academic year.

I ran for Student Government Association (SGA) President on the premise that I am a leader who listens. It is now up to me to breathe life into this concept. I envision a SGA that is relevant, thoughtful and engaging and, above all, one that truly seeks to represent the student body. And so, with the new academic year ahead, I am extending a formal invitation to all of you to hold me accountable.

Stop me in Proctor and tell me about your latest idea for improving student life. Approach me in Crossroads and ask what the SGA has really been up to behind the scenes. Shoot me an email and I promise you someone from the SGA will respond within 24 hours. Of course, the onus is not entirely on all of you, nor should it be. This year we are introducing some new components that make an open stream of communication between the SGA and the student body easier than ever.

First, we are instituting “Open Conversations,” an opportunity for anyone to stop by the Crest Room in McCullough on Sunday nights at 7 pm to discuss life at Middlebury in a free-flowing, non-moderated setting. We will select and advertise a topic that is reflective of conversations happening around campus and relevant administrators will be invited to attend. A more typical Senate meeting will follow Open Conversations, at which time Senators will formalize the ideas discussed into bills and resolutions. Of course, this component of the night will be entirely open to all students as well.

We will also introduce a more consistent social media presence. On our Facebook page, “Middlebury College SGA,” instead of solely publicizing SGA’s activities, we will expand to function as a centralized page for information highlighting all of the wonderful things happening at this school – and, of course, there are so many wonderful things happening here every single day. Similarly, we are re-thinking our strategy when it comes to conveying information through all-student emails, realizing that there is a fine line to toe between inbox-flooding and a complete lack of communication.

In addition, I will be hosting small group dinners in my Atwater suite where students from all classes and social circles will have the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about how the SGA can better serve their cause or community.

We will continue to hold “Coffee Hour” on late nights in BiHall and Davis Library where your class senators, commons senators and I will be there to chat informally or answer directed questions as you take a break from work and grab a free coffee.

These initiatives are all part of my concerted effort to lead through listening, and for the entire SGA to increase its transparency and communication with the student body and the administration. I will do all that I can to keep you in the know as we begin to collaborate with Old Chapel to work towards implementing our goals for the year, which include 10 o’clock Proc, an extensive peer-counseling network and a student-run bar. I also want you all to keep me in the know. If there is something you are frustrated about, if you feel there is nothing significant happening in the SGA or if you want to get involved with a movement, please send me an email and we will schedule a coffee.

Let us not wait until the end of the year and look back at all we could have done. Instead, let us be thoughtful. Reach out. Come to Open Conversations. I think you will be surprised. We can accomplish a lot when we mobilize our community as a united front.