EMU SGA

March seems to have come and gone about as quickly as VA snow can in the
midst of 60 degree weather.

And here we are, reflecting on another eventful month in the SGA. We
elected new members of the executive committee who will lead the SGA next
year: Nel Akerson and Mariah Elliott as Co-Presidents, James Souder as VP,
Dan Sigmans as Treasurer, and Alli Eanes as Secretary. Congratulations
again to them.

SGA helped with volunteering at the Calling and Career day, which was
another successful day in bringing organizations in for students to talk
with. It also gave students opportunities to review their resumes, have
practice interviews, and attend informative seminars. Special thanks to
Amy Springer and Jen Litwiller and others for their work on this day.

We also volunteered at the Commons Phase II dedication, where many guests
were on campus to view the grand opening of the renovated Commons and have
a special dedication service.

The Board of Trustees was also present this past weekend for their
semester meeting. SGA reported to the board to update them on current
happenings, and the Board affirmed our work.

SGA has also been working with a new strategic plan. We have approved
this working document within the Senate as a way to have larger, long-term
projects. This document will be passed on over the years, with chance for
revision at the end of each term. You can find the document attached if
you would like to review it.

Remember to take advantage of the outstanding Attachment Conference coming
up…it is an opportunity you won’t want to miss!

May you all finish out the semester strong. Stay focused, and have fun as
spring arrives!

Radin, Radin, Radin!

If you missed the big concert, one of the major things SGA did, along with
CAC, was bring Josh Radin to Lehman stage. It drew nearly 500 people for
a fun evening of music. Big thanks to Doug Wandersee for his epic
coordinating abilities. Also on the concert kick, we helped bring in
Hadestown, a folk opera by Anais Mitchell, along with various other
departments.

In our continuing efforts to boost school spirit, we’ve been throwing
t-shirts at basketball and volleyball games, as well as a raffle at half
time for free EMU gear for students (special thanks to Sarah Beck and Matt
Dean). We also organized a food drive to benefit Patchwork Pantry–thanks
to Peyton Erb for her leadership.

Last Tuesday was the Join a Club Party in Common Grounds, where the USO
(Union of Student Organizations) created a space for clubs to get their
word out and encourage students to join. We hope this spring gathering of
clubs can be a annual event.

Other SGA happenings:
-Helping Maplewood students move into the renovated Elmwood
-Funding Peace Fellowship to the Intercollegiate Peace Conference, and
Sustainable Food Initiative to the Food and Farming Conference at
Laurelville, PA.
-Working with Campus Life and EMU Security to respond to safety concerns
on campus
-Volunteer at the Calling and Career Day, shout out to Amy Springer and
Jen Litwiller for making this event happen

SGA is also beginning to work with a Strategic Plan as we dream and vision
for how the SGA could look in the future. And as always, our meetings are
open to everyone–Wednesdays at 9pm, UC 211/212.

Blessings during this mid-term week.

Happy snow day, students…it’s time for another update!

We are happy to announce the arrival of six new senators: Erika Babikow,
Alli Eanes, Laci Gautsche, Hannah Schrock, Courtney Walker, and Brittney
Wenger. We are excited to hear their fresh ideas and utilize the added
energy they bring to the Senate. Remember, you can talk with these and
other senators about concerns and ideas on campus.

We already have several exciting projects on the horizon. Biggest of
these include bringing Joshua Radin to EMU with the help of CAC (special
thanks to Doug Wandersee). This unprecedented concert will be Sunday, Feb
13, at 8pm in Lehman Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale in the Student
Life Suite on January 31st, $5/student, $15/community member.

Other exciting events include:
-Free stuff at basketball games…keep your tickets and there’s a drawing
at halftime for EMU gear
-Food drive–bring staple food items (i.e. canned foods and
non-perishables) to the basketball game on Feb. 12 to support Patchwork
Pantry

We were also happy to help fund the recent successful club events from
SMRI (keffiyeh sales) and TDAP (Red Flag Campaign).

The SGA is currently working with various groups and individuals to
continue to help make this campus a safe place. We appreciate your help
in maintaining EMU’s strong and beautiful community. And as always,
you’re welcome to come to our meetings on Wednesdays at 9pm in UC 211/212.

Blessings this semester,
Benjamin and Michael

It’s time for another SGA update. Here’s what’s been going on:

You may have seen the large, inflatable jumping creatures at the men’s
basketball game vs. Hampden-Sydney. SGA was pleased to help co-sponsor
their performance along with Athletic Events, Marketing, and CAC.
Everyone there enjoyed their crazy antics.

EMU’s Board of Trustees convened for their fall meeting, and we as
Co-Presidents reported to them on behalf of SGA. We updated them on the
current Senate, as well as happenings within our organization. We were
pleased to give a glowing report to a board which received us with
affirmation. We also supported an official statement in conjunction with
the Morally Responsible Investment Club, who met with the Board’s Finance
Committee and urged them to support more morally responsible investment
within the Mennonite financial institutions.

Thanks to Senators Peyton Erb and Darian Harnish for their work at putting
together another successful Faculty Forum. We are also grateful for the
willingness of the faculty/staff panel–Walt Surratt, Matt Siderhurst, Don
Clymer, Amy Springer, and Vi Dutcher. It’s great to be able to get to
know EMU faculty and staff outside the classroom.

Recently, we helped fund a trip to New York for several members of Peace
Fellowship to the annual MCC-UN Conference. They will be having a forum
to discuss their experience in Common Grounds on Wednesday, Dec 8 at 8pm.

Keep your eye out, matey, for these upcoming happenings:
-SGA Caroling before chapel, Monday, Dec. 13 at 10am (last day of class!)
-Late Night Breakfast, Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 10pm
-Apparel give-aways at select athletic events
-Food Drive early next semester for Patchwork Pantry

As always, our weekly meetings (Wednesdays at 9pm) are open to all
students, our minutes are posted at www.emu.edu/sga, and let us know if
you have any questions or ideas at sga@emu.edu. Happy studying!

As a part of this year’s goal for SGA, we as Co-Presidents are working to
find new ways of communication between Student Government and the student
body. One of these ways is by using President Swartzendruber’s model of
regular updates. As representatives of the student body, we want to
become a more transparent organization so that you as students know more
about some of the things SGA is working on. So here goes:

We kicked off the year with our annual SGA Fall Retreat, where we
brainstormed many ideas for the year and developed a vision for this
year’s Senate. The Senate, full of energy and creativity, generated many
great ideas that have directed our work so far.

As a way of being more intentional about hearing student ideas directly,
we organized the Idea Drive which yielded many helpful suggestions that we
either considered as a Senate or passed on to the appropriate department.
Janelle Freed and Mariah Elliott did a great job of making this drive
possible.

This year, Spirit Week featured new and exciting events, like the Water
Balloon Frenzy and S’mores on the Hill. Special thanks to Heidi Bauman,
Nels Akerson, Benjamin Bergey, Janelle and Mariah, among others.

Since SGA also provides funding to clubs, we have helped fund and support
the biannual Student Leadership Conference with Student Life, activities
for the Students for the Morally Responsible Investment of
Israel/Palestine (MRI), the annual Take Back the Night event, and events
for Res Judicata and Peace Fellowship. We are also excited to see the
energy behind the Sustainable Food Initiative, a rising student club.

Things on the horizon:
• An EMU pep band is in the making…stay tuned.
• EMU-hosted Justice Summit, facilitated by Mayor Kai Degner—Nov. 13
• Faculty forum—Nov. 16

As always, SGA is excited and open to hear what students have to say. Our
office hours are posted on the SGA office door. Feel free to stop by to
chat with a Senator, or send us an email at sga@emu.edu. Keep up to date
with SGA happenings on our website: www.emu.edu/sga, and remember that our
weekly meetings (Wednesdays at 9pm in UC 211) are open to all students.