TCU Daily Skiff Thursday, February 26, 2004
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Student gov affects each student on campus

Jennifer Noy is a sophomore advertising/public relations and psychology major from Austin.

We will pay $19,700 in tuition for the 2004-2005 school year. Twenty dollars a person will go to the Student Government Association. Comparatively, this is a very small fee but it impacts students in ways they may not even know about.

Historically, SGA has made permanent changes on the TCU campus that we are enjoying today. For example, the area between the Sadler and Reed halls is a place where students gather between classes, study and eat lunch. Years ago, it was nothing but dirt. Dirt that quickly turned into mud when it rained. It was student government legislation and fees that made Sadler Mall into what it is today.

This semester, SGA is armed with a brand new set of executive officers. Students elected the top four officials, who then hand picked the rest of the officers. These officers have already expressed a great interest in making a difference in the TCU community.
So far this spring, SGA has hosted programs for all students to enjoy. At the Frog Freeze Fest, SGA brought in snow, which allowed some TCU students to see it for the first time in their lives. The Student Center hallways were crowded with students enjoying hot chocolate and cookies as well as a 3-D motion simulator and a chance to take funny photos. More than 600 students attended this program and 92 percent rated it as an excellent event.

Of course, this program did not appeal to every TCU student. But with more than 8,000 students, SGA cannot expect to please every student every time. Instead, the goal of SGA is to offer a variety of programs and legislation so that each student will be impacted in some way.

So snow wasn’t your thing. Some students would rather watch a documentary on racism or attend the Homecoming Parade, all organized by SGA. Through various committees, SGA aims to benefit a diverse group of students. On the programming side, SGA has teams planning lectures, films, tournaments, concerts and other activities. As far as legislation, SGA chairmen look to address residential concerns, issues with dining services, and make permanent improvements. Somewhere in the mix of committees, chairs and project teams, SGA impacts you.

In addition to its own projects, SGA also gives away money to organizations that are planning events and need financial help. This semester SGA helped fund the Delta Gamma Lectureship series on Ethics in Athletics. SGA also donated money to the TCU Gospel Choir and Hyperfrogs for events later this spring. Because SGA is the only organization that receives a portion of every student’s tuition, it looks to support other clubs in need of money.

If you still aren’t convinced that SGA affects you, then get involved. The two branches of SGA, Programming Council and House, welcome new ideas and opinions. Open meetings allow all students to attend and voice their opinions. In addition, each student has a representative in House. These representatives allow students to voice concerns at a local level.

Although you may think SGA does not affect you, it does. Through service, programming and legislation, the Student Government Association seeks to improve the TCU community. Programming offers events that can make students think or just allow them a chance to relax. The House of Student Representatives listens to concerns of students and offers legislation to change problems on the TCU campus. SGA does not claim to solve every problem or provide programs that every student will enjoy, but at some point or many points in your TCU career, you will receive your twenty dollars worth from SGA.
 
 
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