From the president

I hope everyone is staying warm now that the cold weather has decided to hit Richmond. The outside may be bitter and chilly, but SGA is not letting the winter conditions freeze up its agenda and slow down its course. We remain active and dedicated to your concerns, and the VCU campus remains very much alive.

An SGA-led event that is coming up is National Black/HIV Awareness Day this Wednesday. The purpose of the event is to recognize HIV/AIDS as a disease that is disproportionately affecting the African-American population and to celebrate the things we can do to prevent it. There will be speakers, discussions, information sessions and free West African food. One speaker will be a student who is HIV positive. He will be speaking about his experience and what young people can do to help stop the AIDS epidemic. The majority of the events will take place at 7 p.m. in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. The Fan Free Clinic will be at the door accepting canned good donations. For more information, contact Student Body Vice President Megan Shandelson at sgavicepres@vcu.edu

I’m pleased to announce today that our student lobbying rapid response team has sprung into action. Student senators, cabinet members and other VCU students have visited the Virginia General Assembly to form a presence of young voters advocating for higher education related issues. On Tuesday evening, Communications Director Peter Moody attended a subcommittee hearing and testified against an “intellectual diversity” bill that would have paved the way for the state to legislate academic content into our schools. Thanks to Peter and other students and faculty that spoke out against it, the bill was tabled and was not brought up again. The next morning Vice President Megan Shandelson attended another subcommittee hearing this time for a bill that would have made it legal for students with a permit to carry concealed guns on campus. Several students woke up at 7:30 a.m. to speak out about the safety risk that the piece of legislation would create, and as a result the bill failed.

I have recently expanded the rapid response team to include student senators and more members of the executive cabinet so the SGA can increase its capacity to represent student concerns at the General Assembly. For more information regarding the intellectual diversity bill contact Peter Moody at communications@vcusga.com. For more information regarding the gun bill, contact Megan Shandelson at sgavicepres@vcu.edu. If you would like to join the rapid response team or have an issue you would like to pursue, contact Maggie O’Brien at politics@vcusga.com.

Last Thursday, I spoke at a press conference supporting the unified budget amendment. This amendment asks for increases in student financial aid, faculty salaries and base adequacy funding. The press conference featured students from universities across the Commonwealth. Some of the schools present were: William and Mary, Virginia Tech, Northern Virginia Community College, Christopher Newport University and many others. All of us had large banners which featured thousands of student signatures. These banners were lined up outside the General Assembly and we as students united to send a message to our legislators that we want them to invest in Virginia’s future!

Monday’s student senate was a busy meeting as well. Another project currently underway is Rams on the Run. This is going to be a mobile cart that will be posted on the business building lawn that will enable students to use their meal plan swipes, dining dollars credit card or cash to grab a quick snack in between classes. A final plan that is underway is “Ram the Streets,” which is a plan to paint the VCU athletics logo around campus to raise a sense of school pride throughout the student body.

As a reminder for students who want to run for SGA this spring, election packets are due Friday Feb.16 and can be picked up at the SGA office. You can find more information at www.vcusga.com.Click on “Elections.” E-mail me anytime at sgapresident@vcu.edu with your questions or concerns. Thanks, and stay warm!