In the second-to-last Student Government Association (SGA) meeting, President Isaac Mitchell delivered his last platform points update.
Mitchell said 14 of the 16 platform points have been completed, and the two points that weren’t completed was due to a lack of contact with the university.
“Actually, they both ran into a similar wall, which was a lack of response from administrators or quite literally ignored emails,” Mitchell said.
In hindsight, Amplify could have reached out to the administrators sooner, he said.
Completed
Sexual Assault Awareness
SGA hosted a Title IX panel on Nov. 9 and a Step in. Speak Up. event on Oct. 24. Mitchell said that he wanted to have an awareness event during the Spring 2019 semester.
“To be honest, I planned on and wanted to have more events than we ended up having,” Mitchell said. “I think a reality you learn whenever get into something like this is that you blink and then all of the sudden it’s the end of the semester.”
Mental Health Awareness
A speaker brought in by SGA came in to talk about suicide awareness Nov. 28. SGA also co-sponsored the Tau Getting Yolked event on Sept. 13 to raise money for Mental Health America.
Mitchell said there were talks with the counseling center to do a video project, but the counseling center “had other priorities” and SGA didn’t have the resources.
Extending Bracken Weekend Hours
After completing a campus-wide survey, a trial was conducted on the weekend of finals last semester to see if students were interested in extending Bracken Library hours. Mitchell said Bracken has agreed to extend weekend hours for finals week starting this semester.
Student Appreciation Day
In just two Student Appreciation Day events, held Nov. 28 and March 27, SGA gave out 125 dozen doughnut holes and 25 dozen cookies, Mitchell said.
“Student Appreciation Day was super, super successful,” Mitchell said. “Last semester it was done in 45 minutes because we had so many people come.”
More Student Input
The most rewarding thing, Mitchell said, was to hold a moderated conversation Aug. 21 over the John Schnatter situation.
“That was really stressful. It was a really stressful time,” Mitchell said. “[Amplify] all woke up one day during the summer and we got the same email saying, ‘Board of Trustees supports John Schnatter,’ and under that email we had a bunch of other emails from students saying, ‘What the hell are you guys going to do?’”
Additionally, SGA ran several surveys to compile information from the student body to help write more effective legislation within senate.
ROTC Priority Scheduling
The legislation to give Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) students priority scheduling has passed SGA senate, Mitchell said, and now awaits university approval to be implemented. The executive slate for next year, Elevate, has ROTC priority scheduling as a platform point.
“There is nothing else that SGA could do or that any student could for this,” Mitchell said.
More information about what can and cannot be recycled
While recycling information will not be distributed around campus this semester, Amplify has received confirmation from the university that posters will be distributed around dining halls next school year.
“Where this platform stands is kind of a weird spot,” Mitchell said. “It did not happen before inauguration and it won’t happen before inauguration.”
Preferred names on campus
Mitchell said allowing students to use their preferred names in Ball State records will start this summer. He said it was a “huge” step for Ball State to become more inclusive.
He added that Ro Anne Royer Engle, interim vice president for student affairs, has been a huge help in the process.
Multicultural resources
Originally, the slate campaigned to have LGBTQ resources and a resource center on campus. The plans changed when it was announced that a new multicultural center was being built.
“There’s not much we can do to determine what the [multicultural resource center] is, but what we can do is have a common message coming from students,” Mitchell said.
He said Amplify has been in talks with Spectrum, President Mearns and the university senate. So even though no resources have been added, SGA has tried to help guide the university.
Shuttle from campus to downtown Muncie
A shuttle bus will be taking students to downtown Muncie April 4 from 4:45 p.m. - 9 p.m. to the First Thursday, an art exhibit in the shops of downtown where shop owners will also offer discount prices for goers.
Shuttle to football games
In total, four shuttles have been sent to Ball State home football games. According to the report Mitchell gave to the senate, a total of 1,922 students used the shuttles to get to football games.
Shuttle to farmer’s market
This school year, four shuttles have carried student’s to the farmers market . The presentation estimated around 180 students used the service.
Mitchell said he never left campus as a freshman and sophomore because he didn’t know the area. He felt like shuttles to the farmer’s market helped students learn more about the community.
Opportunities for community service
Over the school year, SGA partnered with Student Voluntary Services for their Angel Tree even; the Black Student Association to volunteer at A Better Way; and Southview Elementary to work at the food pantry.
Mitchell said senators did more service than what was listed in the presentation, but he chose to list the events that the executive board was involved in.
Expecting parent parking permits
Expectant mothers were given parking passes at the start of the fall 2018 semester.
Uncompleted
Bin in restrooms and hygienic products
“Honestly this is my number one disappointment with this year,” Mitchell said.
He said this platform point “will not happen” and Ball State Housing was not communicating with the SGA, except for March 28, which he said was the first contact through email he’s had.
“I cannot make housing care about transgender students and so that’s where we stand. SGA cares, the student body cares, I can’t force them to care.”
Relocating Trash and Recycling Bins
The platform point required a lot of volunteers to write out maps to mark where all the current trash cans are and Vice President Matt Hinkleman wrote out a digital map.
“All this data has been consolidated, and the administration just won’t talk to us,” Mitchell said.
He added that he will continue to work on this over the summer.
Contact Charles Melton with comments at cwmelton@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Cmelton144.
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