Like the average Arkansas State University student, I never cared about the Student Government Association (SGA). It wasn’t until they began to attack a passed housing scholarship that I realized that SGA has done nothing productive for the A-State student body in recent memory.
SGA has the power to make significant changes to our campus. So, why don’t they?
The first ever SGA meeting I attended as a college student was their Feb. 13 meeting, where they were not only working to abolish SR 22/23 – 01 (a scholarship that would give financial assistance to those struggling to live on campus) but were also working to squash public support of the scholarship.
Eventually, after much deliberation, they let those of us who came in support of the scholarship speak but, by that point, I realized that the A-State SGA was not serving the students, but rather themselves.
Our SGA has had every opportunity to work and fix any issues they may have had with the housing scholarship. However, they voted to abolish it instead, with the condition that they would pass a new scholarship by the 2025/2026 election year, giving SGA an entire year to make a new scholarship.
SGA President Micayla McGowen expressed her support of this amendment. She said this amendment made sure “change happens.”
It’s ironic that only nine months later she said the same thing when they abolished that very deadline, which was literally made to ensure SGA makes a housing scholarship.
Senator Jackson Galloway was behind the abolishment of the original housing scholarship and a proponent of the deadline amendment. He said he had no interest in helping fellow Senator Louis Gonzalez, the senator who has been working tirelessly to form another housing scholarship.
SGA does not want to be held accountable for their actions, as nothing is forcing them to make a housing scholarship anymore.
They are also reluctant to use their budget to fund the housing scholarship and instead want to push the responsibility of funding it on outside donors.
We, the general public and student body, do not know what SGA’s budget is — as they are not champions in transparency.
What has stayed the same in the budget are the estimated $27,000 salaries of the executive board of SGA, which seems to be more important to them than giving five students $1,100 each so they can afford to live on campus.
Ultimately, our SGA is not interested in helping students. As a matter of fact, it seems that they aren’t even interested in SGA itself.
At their Nov. 19 meeting, McGowen commented on the lack of attendance from their senators to SGA meetings. If senators aren’t showing up, they certainly aren’t getting anything done.
At their final meeting of the semester on Dec. 3, SGA made no mention of any scholarships or resolutions.
It’s time to ensure our student government works for the students and not just themselves and their resumes.
And for fellow A-State students and peers, I ask you to show up to the next SGA meeting and hold your elected senators accountable for their actions.
Lastly, SGA senators, I ask you to stop working to ensure your own stability and start working for those who elected you.
Keep up the outstanding journalism! You masterfully manipulated the facts to create a convincing piece of propaganda.
Another gripping edition of The Herald! I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to dive into this novel of negativity! It’s not like students actively avoid reading it. The commitment to dragging people down while complaining on their lack of productivity is an art form. Maybe if students spent half the energy to get involved as they do complaining from the sidelines, SGA wouldn’t be such a mystery to them. I really do enjoy the passive-aggressive finger-pointing Olympics. A truly iconic piece.