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Inside The SGA |
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By SCOTT EVAN GOLDBERG SGA Legislator
The Student Government Association has
undertaken some very important projects in the past
month which the student body may benefit from before
the year is out. We have taken on issues ranging from
community service to saving students cold hard cash,
but by all means we have no intention of stopping there,
or even slowing down. As plans come much closer to
becoming reality, each student at the University of
Maryland should keep their eyes and their ears open to
make sure they understand what is happening at our school.
At the weekly SGA meeting on November 17th, the
SGA fulfilled our organizational duty by issuing secondary
funding to over one hundred student groups that applied for
additional money. The mid-year budget was created only
after tireless work by a handful of commendable student
legislators. When next semester begins, student groups will
be able to put portions of the student activities fee to good
use.
Two other important issues were also addressed at
the same meeting: student group seating allotment at the
Comcast Arena and the recommendations of the Alcohol Task
Force. As many students know, the five rows behind the
visitor’s bench at men's basketball games are reserved for
students groups who are chosen in a lottery. The problem with
this system is that many times a good portion of the seats are
left empty, and in other cases, groups sell tickets to non-group
members. The SGA has made a concerted effort to lobby the
members of the Athletic Council and Athletic Department to
give these seats back to individual students and passed
legislation supporting every student’s equal opportunity to
enjoy Maryland basketball.
The University commissioned an Alcohol Task
Force over a year ago to recommend policies to decrease the
amount of alcohol use and abuse by the student body at large,
both on and off campus. The Task Force targeted the Greek
system as a major demographic to burden with these issues.
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At an open forum a few weeks ago, over 300 students were in attendance, and four members of the SGA stood up and addressed the Task Force and audience to support the good recommendations and criticize the more egregious ones that infringe on student rights, overstep the Universities bounds, and will prove ineffective and inflammatory. The SGA felt that the Task Force members, who represent the University, focused primarily on prohibition and enforcement and failed to adequately provide recommendations of proper education. The University is a school, not a policing organization; its core competency is teaching and not enforcing state law. The SGA took a proactive stance and passed a resolution condemning an overwhelming majority of the Task Force's recommendations.
Buying books at the University Book Center or the Maryland Book
Exchange can be a costly proposition. However, there is a way that
books could sell for less and be bought back for more. It is simply a
matter of getting professors to turn in their booklists earlier. If all
professors turned their book lists in on time, studies suggest that on
average, a student can save $100 each semester. Some SGA
Legislators have done exhaustive research and are preparing a
campaign to educate professors and bring some accountability to the
faculty because it is time the University take action to help students
hit hard by tuition increases.
The SGA is bringing your issues to the Administrators of this University and to officials on the state level. We are available to discuss any subject you'd like in person, in the SGA office located in the Stamp Student Union, behind the information desk in the Atrium. You can also access specific information about Executives and Legislators from our website: www.sga.umd.edu.
You can learn more about the SGA by visiting their website at http://www.sga.umd.edu
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