The Student Government Association (SGA) of Penn State Greater Allegheny gathered for the fourth time this year and the third time at the Student Offices at the Student Community Center, on Nov. 20, to discuss and decide on strategies to positively impact the quality of life and safety of the campus. All SGA’s meeting will take place at the Student Offices onward.
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) requested $1,500 to afford a maximum space for up to 15 student volunteers who will assist in an overseas community service in post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico over the 2020 Spring Break. The cost per person for the trip amounts to $1,600 which would be divided equally.
“For students who participate in Alternative Spring Break,” said Residence Life and Student Leadership Coordinator, Louise Anne Whyte-Aravich, “the out-of-pocket cost is for everything included in around $1,600. Then they apply for grants they fundraise and then they also received money from student activity fee and SGA last year. Last year’s trip cost per person was around $1,350 and I received $1,000 from SGA which was wonderful and I’m requesting up to $1,500 this year because there’s an increase in the cost for everything that would divided equally between the participants to help support the cost of their trip.”
Year after year, homecoming changes at Penn State Greater Allegheny. The university aims to flourish their homecomings and have them revolve around more congregations. They deliberately plan events and activities so more students would be involved and congregate amongst each other. SGA President, Katie Chuahong, suggested to Whyte-Aravich, to host the pep rally and the bon fire simultaneously on the same day. This year’s pep rally took place at a golf instead of at the Wunderley Gymnasium. There was a tournament going on in the gym. Chuahong expressed belief that more students, including commuters, would be willing to attend a pep rally if it was on a weekday instead over the weekend. Whyte-Aravich acknowledged that the pep rally would be best in the Wunderley gymnasium.
Commuter Student Representative, Ebony Sway, proposed that the problem with participation is that commuter students don’t have the same advantages at keeping their ears to the ground that the residents do. Merely adjusting the dates to fit the schedule of commuters would do little good. Whyte-Aravich stated that the campus’ mode of communication is predominately email, but students don’t always bother to check it and that presents a problem.
“I don’t think we are kept up-to-date compared to the people in the dorms. ‘Well, what events are happening when,’” Sway said. “I do agree with you (Whyte-Aravich). For something like that (homecoming) I don’t think you should adjust that type of event to accommodate the schedule of commuters. I think that is if you want to attend, you make time for that type of event. But I do think that we’re kind of left in the dark when events happen because the advertisement goes toward everyone in the dorms.”
Sway recommended setting up billboards or anything that was “stationary instead of it being online.” Corbett recommended posting fliers on Penn State’s official website, Facebook page and Instagram account. Sway also reported on complaints from commuter students about the low discount percentages they receive in the Café Metro and the increasing rates. She will be investigating.
“We are all technically considered student leaders and as student leaders, we are in charge of getting the students involved,” Representative of Student Affairs, Hailey Barna, said. “You can do all you can to get them involved, to get them to come to these events, but if they’re really in that state of ‘I really don’t want to be involved,’ there’s really nothing you can do. And if you do drag them into the middle, then everyone is going to be miserable. I definitely agree with Ebony with getting the students more involved because even though I am a commuter student, I am involved,” Barna concluded.
The SGA Spring, 2020 meeting schedule is currently being confirmed and will be announced before the end of this fall semester. All meetings will be held on the lower level of the SCC in the Student Offices.
Story By Shannon Reid (smr96@psu.edu)
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