Before the Student Government Association ended its roundtable meetings for the year Monday, SGA’s leaders, past and present, told the organization leaders farewell and discussed plans for next year.
SGA president Zmarak Khan and Kelly Carnes, the executive director of university relations, discussed the roundtable’s success. SGA’s newly elected officials introduced themselves along with vice president Eddie O’Leary who becomes SGA’s president on April 25.
“I honestly feel that we were very successful and for that I would like to thank you,” Khan said. “We’re not perfect and if anybody tells you that SGA is perfect, they’re lying. We have come a long way, and the roundtable has promoted SGA and gave you a way to communicate with each other and SGA. It helps bring a sense of community.”
Many students attending the event agreed with Khan. Phillip Bowles, an art major, represented the Illustrators Club when he described the roundtable meetings.
“They let me know what is going on around school and what some of the other programs are working on,” Bowles said. “They’re informative so you know what’s going on around campus. It’s nice because they e-mail you and let you know what’s going on.”
But not all students found the meetings as informative as Bowles.
“I like to come and make fun of them a little bit, but they’re fun to come chill with my friends, I admit,” said Rachel Gee, a sociology major representing Alpha Phi Omega’s national service fraternity.
Since it was the final roundtable meeting of the year, Carnes who chaired the meetings, wrapped up its first year.
“I think they have been a huge success,” Carnes said. “I definitely had my doubts in the beginning, and I was really scared of trying to control an agenda for a roomful of people who are obviously more experienced then any other students in the school. I was really afraid if they would come and if they would find the meetings informative and interesting and necessary and not just a waste of their time.”
O’Leary discussed his plans for the next year saying he wants to make a better Web site for student organizations and for the SGA.
“I don’t think it’s very centralized or easy to understand,” O’Leary said of the Web site. “That’s one change that will really help you. I want to try and make things easier for you.”
Carnes called the attendance at the meetings “fabulous.”
“The very first meeting, I set up 40 chairs and 97 people showed up, so people were sitting on the floor and stages,” Carnes said. “It really was a surprise. We didn’t figure that many people would come to the very first meeting since it was brand new and they didn’t know about it, but we’ve had a full house ever since.”
Plans for next year’s meetings are already in the works. Organization leaders will meet again in early September with SGA’s executive director, Katherine Capocelli.
Carnes reminded students that their feedback can help SGA to plan more informative and entertaining meetings.
“I have been trying to work with Mayor Wilder, trying to get him to come,” Carnes said. “I really would request more feedback from the students to get who you want in here.”