The Student Government Association executive board has made moves to follow through on the platform points promised when the board was elected in February.
President Nick Wilkey, Vice President Carli Hendershot, Secretary Rahissa Engle and Treasurer Sidney Staples make up the SGA executive board.
Wilkey said he mostly wants to be the voice of the student body to the administration, so his first priority is to meet with Ball State’s new president, Paul Ferguson.
“[I want to show the new president] the significance of listening to the student’s voice and concerns,” Wilkey said. “This relationship is key for years to come.”
Ferguson, most recently the president of the University of Maine’s flagship, took office Aug. 1, succeeding former President Jo Ann Gora.
Wilkey said through SGA’s adviser and the secretary of the president, they have worked to set up a meeting with Ferguson.
One of the board’s goals during election season was to hold a mixer with Ferguson and the students this fall, giving him an opportunity to meet students and get acquainted with the student body.
Another platform point included starting an on-campus food pantry for students.
Wilkey said they have secured a location for the food bank in the Multicultural Center, and they hope to have it running by mid-September.
There were concerns during the election about the viability of the Campus Camp Out idea to keep Bracken Library open 24 hours during Finals Week.
Arthur Hafner, dean of the library, said in February he had concerns about students walking home late at night, custodians having enough time to clean the library and the computer reset each morning at 5 a.m.
The executive board hasn’t given up, however.
“Keeping the library open 24 hours was always going to be the toughest platform to accomplish,” Wilkey said. “But we are still going to work as hard as we can to accomplish that goal.”
New freshmen will get the chance to see Wilkey for the first time at the Freshman Convocation and at the SGA executive board’s events around campus.
Engle has been working on the platform point regarding an emerging leaders retreat. A date has not yet been established.
She said she is most excited to work with the SGA Senate and various organizations on campus and see how the board’s ideas turnout.
Hendershot said she is looking forward to working with student senators through her job running the SGA Senate every Wednesday as well as writing and passing legislation.
Bryan Kubel, president pro tempore, also worked during the summer to prepare for SGA.
Kubel is the link between the SGA Senate and the executive board. He created a Google Drive account — bit.ly/SGAdrive — for senators and any student to see the agendas, the minutes and the legislation for SGA.
“Everything that we do in SGA can be easily accessed for anyone that wishes to view them,” he said. “By going to [our link], anyone can view the latest agendas and minutes, view and sponsor legislation, leave SGA comments or concerns, view all of our governing documents and more.”
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