EDITORIAL: SGA has an outreach problem—But it CAN be solved.

Elmhurst University’s Student Government Association serves an incredibly important and specific purpose:

“Our job is to make sure student’s concerns are heard,” said SGA Vice President and Elmhurst University sophomore Avaion Viverette.

Despite not being able to directly influence campus policy, SGA is able to make suggestions at the twice-annual Board of Trustee meetings and does observe the decisions made and discussions held by the board.

“We have a list of things we’re working on and a list of concerns and we’ll mention them,” Viverette said. “It would theoretically be possible that we recommend a change be made.”

The Association is also able to request improvements to campus and work directly with campus departments like Facilities Management on physical improvements to campus.

Viverette explained a project with Facilities Management SGA is considering.

“We wanted to include a gender-neutral bathroom in Daniels Hall” “[SGA President Davionne Jakes] said ‘Hey this is the price; do we want to move forward with it.’”

SGA legislators have since been working with Facilities Management and other members of campus leadership to sort out details for the proposed project.

The Student Government Association hosts regular meetings during the fall and spring semesters on Thursdays during protected hour. These meetings, according to Viverette, are students’ opportunity to have their voices heard.

“One of our senators heard a complaint about halal food in the cafe. He shared that concern with me, I brought that concern to our advisor, and he suggested that 1: I reach out to MSA and get their opinion, and 2: reach out to the head of dining services, Angel [Almodovar].”

“He pretty much showed me to the freezer with the labeling of Halal food and he certified that it was Halal, and he shared with me that he would be willing to do that with any student with a concern.”

“Situations like that are only possible if students share those concerns. If that senator never shared that with me, that student would have been pent up like you shared with me earlier.”

SGA’s meetings, and the requests of students in those meetings, have the potential to have real, tangible impacts on campus, but many students don’t know about them.

This is the “outreach problem” with SGA. Students don’t seem to know SGA exists. Students should be actively engaged in their surrounding campus culture- SGA is one of the most direct ways to do that- and yet Viverette himself believes that many students don’t know that.

“SGA, Student Government Association…A lot of people probably don’t know what that acronym stands for,” states Viverette.

SGA’s Instagram page is occasionally active, but the posts are usually broad statements from the board, promotions for other clubs and activities, or sharing events SGA members have attended on campus. The page has one post reminding club leaders of mandatory monthly legislator meetings, but otherwise no direct call for students to get involved with student government.

SGA has had real, tangible impacts on campus, and they’re working to do more—but that requires the support and input of their peers. This editorial, hopefully, will act as a quasi-advertisement for the club, and more importantly, as a recommendation for SGA to focus on reaching students directly and convincing them to get involved with campus life.