Race for SGA begins on medical campus

Students interested in an executive position in the Medical College of Virginia’s Student Government Association will want to attend the association’s March 19 meeting.

“You could nominate yourself. You can be nominated by a classmate or SGA representative,” said Gaurav Agarwal, treasurer of the MCV-SGA, adding that any Medical Campus student has the right to run for office.

The nominations can continue until a week before the April 16 elections when the student representatives elect a president, vice president for social activities, vice president for student life, vice president for philanthrophy plus a secretary and a treasurer. MCV’s SGA Constitution stipulates that the representatives of each class in each school of VCU’s Medical College receive a ballot at the April 16 meeting.

“The results will be known immediately,” Randy Abutin, vice president for social activities, said. “The winner will be announced at that meeting and new officers will be sworn in that night.”

Agarwal and Abutin agree that occupying an executive position benefits a person’s knowledge about the way institutions are governed.

“You get to rub shoulders with a lot of important people, and you get to see how the decisions are made for the school,” Agarwal said.

Abutin emphasized that medical students have the ability to freely communicate across campus through their student government.

“Every student has the ability to contact us, so we can get things done — and frequently they do get done,” he said.

Aaron Goldberg, vice president for philantrophy, said VCU’s administration is interested in learning ways of improving the standards of student life.

“I would encourage all students to take part in the student government,” he said, because many students complain about issues concerning the campus, and the SGA helps deal with those issues. For instance, issues such as parking and the planning of current events likely will be on the agenda next year.

Robert L. Clifton, MCV’s dean of student affairs, said many students do not realize that VCU’s administrators really listen to the SGA; therefore, if the SGA strongly supports an issue the administration will grant it a full hearing.

Agrawal said the budget cuts last semester caused students to pay $300 more this spring so they could continue riding the Greater Richmond Transit Company buses.

“Parking has always been an issue and is going to continue to be an issue,” he said. “There are not enough parking spaces for the student body. Most students have to park on non-university owned parking lots.”

The March 19 meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Medical College of Virginia’s Alumni House.

“It (the nomination) is rather an informal process. The secretary opens the floor and people’s names are mentioned,” Abutin said.