Despite a strong interest in the Student Government Association informational meeting last week, there were not enough applications to fill all of the open seats. In response to this, SGA has extended nominations until tomorrow.
SGA is looking for seven freshman and two graduate students to fill seats in the Senate, according to Kalyn Long, a public relations senior in SGA. Applications can be picked up at the SGA office in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center 112 and turned in at 7 p.m. in SC 302.
If less than seven freshman and two graduate students apply, applicants who complete the packet will immediately become a part of SGA, Long said.
Long is on the elections committee with six other SGA members. They will be looking through the applications tomorrow and making sure everything is turned in, including a $15 bond that applicants will eventually get back.
Kayla Stanton, president of SGA, doesn't want the bond to scare any potential applicants away. She compared it to giving an ID card to a teacher to rent out a book. The bond is in place to make sure none of the applicants break campaigning rules.
"We're not going to pinpoint little, tiny things and decide to steal your money," Stanton said. "Our goal is to not cash any checks."
Stanton said the nomination rules are in place so no one has an unfair advantage. Things like posting an applicant's name on every library computer are against campaign rules because some students would not be able to compete with that.
Long thinks being a part of SGA is a good way to become involved at Ball State.
"I think one thing is that it's a great opportunity for people wanting to start being involved on campus."
Long thinks that another great reason to join SGA is that, on a resume, being involved in student government shows a potential employer that the student many different skills.
"It shows leadership and that they want to voice their opinion about Ball State," she said.
Stanton also wants to push people to apply because she believes that it is a great opportunity for leadership.
"They would represent the entire freshman population as freshman senator, and that gets them an impact that isn't matched by other organizations on campus," she said. "It's a way that they can literally be the voice for other students."
Part of applying is collecting 50 signatures, but Stanton doesn't want anyone to feel daunted by the task.
"Don't let the signatures intimidate you. The point of getting the signatures is just so we know that you can go and talk to people," Stanton said. "If you can't go up to someone and ask them for their signature, how are you going to be their voice?"
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