SGA. Student Government. President of the student body. Do these words mean anything to you?
You may not know that the Student Government determines where a portion of your tuition goes, or that we fought to extend library hours for finals, or that we demanded restrictions when high school students were disrupting the Curry Student Center. But you should know us. The members of SGA fight daily for the interests of every student at Northeastern – we talk to faculty, we meet with administrators, we demand a better experience for Northeastern students. And we want you to have a say in how we do our jobs.
That’s why we’re giving you the vote.
Since 1924, when Northeastern’s SGA was founded, the student senators have held annual elections to choose a president for the following year – a president who acts simultaneously as the leader of the organization and as the general president of the undergraduate of the student body. Each senator in SGA acts as a representative for at least 50 students within his college when he or she casts votes in Senate meetings, sits on weekly committees and collaborates on projects that affect the entire campus. In electing our president year after year, senators vote for the individual they feel will best relay the needs and concerns of every student on campus, including you.
In recent years, we in Student Government have asked ourselves, “Are we truly representing the concerns of the entire student body? How can we represent them better?” We have heard from you, and what you have told us year after year is, “I want to know who my president is, and I want to pick the person who represents me.”
For some students, it’s about the money you pay every year. The student body president oversees every aspect of SGA, including the Budget Review Committee, which allocates your $104 Student Activity Fee. Middler Pete Ozols stated, “I want to have some control over who is spending my money.”
For others, it’s about representation. Middler Lionel Cruz said, “The student government represents all students in terms of their self-interest in all areas of school. The students should have the right to choose.”
The students have spoken, and SGA has heard. For the past year, dedicated senators have been working on a plan to give every undergraduate student the opportunity to elect the student body president for the 2007-2008 term. Provided the senate approves this plan, you will be voting on myNEU come April 2007.
Within the next year, you will hear a lot about these direct elections. This is your opportunity to vote for the person who will be your student body president. The president will represent you to the administration. He or she will represent your opinions, concerns and interests. Choose wisely!
Pay attention this year, because in 2007 it will be your vote that counts.
– Adriana M. Campos is Student Government Association Vice President for Administration and Public Relations.
