SGA to host State of the Student Body address Feb. 29
Student Government Association President Chuck Mahone speaks at the SGA meeting Monday, Jan. 26, 2015 in Pearce hall.
The Student Government Association will present a State of the Student Body address at 8 p.m. on Feb. 29 in Powers Ballroom.
The address will be available to watch on video or through Periscope @CMUSGA for students who cannot attend. College affordability, recent tragedies that have affected campus and continuing a positive relationship with the city of Mount Pleasant are some topics that will be discussed said SGA President Chuck Mahone.
SGA has reached out to several on-campus groups and invited them to attend the address. Mahone anticipates at least 300 people in attendance, including Mount Pleasant Mayor Kathy Ling, city commissioners and "higher administration from CMU."
Mahone said the State of the Student Body will become an annual event future SGA presidents will continue to host.
"(My hope for the address) is that we as a student body can come together not to just complain about these things, but to do something," he said. "It's important for us to communicate to (students) what SGA is doing, where we're going and the current state of student affairs at Central."
Mahone said the address will have a format similar to President George Ross' "Walking Together" conversation about inclusion and diversity in December. He hopes to get input from students online, possibly through Twitter or AskFM, an anonymous question-submitting website. Notecards will be available for students at the address to physically submit questions.
SGA representatives will be available for follow-up questions after the event for students unable to submit questions during the address.
"We want to get this right so we can set the tone for future (SGA) presidents and their administrations," Mahone said. "Whoever wants to be (SGA) president next year is going to be in that room so I want them to know this (address) isn't optional; this isn't something I thought would be cool to do because I'm leaving. This something they need to do in order to communicate with students."
The address will cost SGA more than $300 for renting out Powers Ballroom. The money comes out of an Executive Projects Budget, Mahone said, which is used to fund projects done by the 20 members of the SGA's Executive Council.
