Kate Watson
senior from
Henderson, Ky.
(This letter is a response to the article “Students discuss nationwide protests” in the Oct. 14 edition of The Murray State News)
It seems to me there has simply been a breakdown in communication regarding how the Student Government Association works. If people are unhappy with something, we (SGA) welcome and encourage them to express their concerns to us. If their concerns aren’t being discussed in Senate meetings it is because they haven’t used the resources we have put in place for them to use. It was expressed the SGA election system is not friendly to the student body.
The SGA elections are purposely held on myGate every year because every single student, whether traditional, non-traditional, full-time, part-time, on-campus, off-campus or at our satellite campuses, have automatic access to the site. Every student must simply log on to their myGate account and vote. Computers with Internet are available to students free of charge in the campus library, the Curris Center, residential colleges, computer labs throughout the buildings on campus and on our satellite campuses.
Elections are promoted the week of elections with signs, in classes by SGA members, throughout the Internet on Facebook and Twitter and posted prominently on the University’s webpages.
It was also suggested the SGA is not representative of the student body. We are very blessed to have such a diverse and outspoken campus, which is why the SGA makes such an effort to have representatives of different sex, race, age, academic years, educational areas, campus organizations as well as faculty and staff represented.
In the years I’ve been in the SGA we have voted on opening numerous positions so we can better represent Murray State as a whole. The SGA Senate has representatives from every academic college, between two and four senators depending on the size of the college, which are determined by votes from students in that academic college. There is also a representative from every residential college, voted on by students of their residential college. Senators keep informed their assigned Corp groups that consist of every student organization on campus that checks the box stating they want information regarding SGA when they register their organizations each semester. There are positions that freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors can fill.
For the most part, the only requirement for applying is a GPA requirement. The SGA actively encourages anyone and everyone to apply. As far as the low voter turnout in SGA elections; we openly encourage students at Murray State to get online and vote. No one is more upset than the SGA when students don’t participate in elections. We are actively seeking new ways to promote our organization, events and elections. We gladly welcome any suggestions the students at Murray State have to offer.
For a list of the committees that SGA members sit on, a list of the faculty and staff that attend meetings or to find out whom your representatives are please contact the SGA office at 809-4491. To obtain an application for a position on SGA visit www.msusga.com or stop by the SGA office located on the first floor of the Curris Center and pick one up.