Mayor Joseph urges student involvement in local government at SGA Feb. 18
Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Joseph talks to students at the Student Government Association meeting in the Bovee University Center on Feb. 18.
The Central Michigan University Student Government Association introduced Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Joseph and Sexual Aggression Peer Advocate representatives at the Feb. 18 meeting.
Joseph started his presentation by outlining his responsibilities as the mayor and explaining how the city of Mount Pleasant operates. He encouraged students to follow the Facebook page and city website for local updates.
Among the topics discussed, Joseph touched on fundraising efforts to the Isabella County Restoration House (ICRH), the clearing of icy sidewalks and the evaluation of the police in regards to race, with the possible establishment of a Citizens Advisory Board.
"Without the student body here, (Mount Pleasant) would probably be another farm town," Joseph said. "Your input is dollars and cents to business owners in our community and honestly it's some of the cultural motivation for a lot of the policies we do as a city. Your voice needs to be heard."
Joseph stressed the importance of student participation in local government and public comment.
"If the youngest - most educated - people don't voice their policy preferences and opinions at our City Commission meetings," Joseph said, "we're at a great loss."
To wrap up his presentation, Joseph took questions from SGA members, which spanned from issues central to him to “what is the best place to eat in town?”
Joseph listed his main focal points as sustainability, local business growth, homelessness and making Mount Pleasant more appealing to young people.
"During the polar vortex, our police picked up a few (homeless) people and our Director of Public Safety told me they put them into some hotel rooms," Joseph said. "The truth is, the ICRH is paying for those people, for their shelter and food. The city has a responsibility, in my eyes, to get involved."
As for the best place to eat, Joseph was not entirely sure, but there was a general consensus among SGA members, upheld by cheers and snaps, that a Coney Island in Mount Pleasant would be nice.
SAPA recruitment
SAPA representatives Taylor Bernstein and C.J. Russell gave a presentation on SAPA, a student organization that serves anyone, on and off campus, affected by sexual aggression with a 24/7 confidential hotline, online chat and in-person services. SAPA also hosts educational programs like “No Zebras, No Excuses” and presentations for classes and organizations.
Bernstein and Russell spoke at SGA in hopes of recruiting new SAPA members.
“The crisis line we run is not just open to Central students,” Russell said. “Someone from China could call that line and if they ask for help, we will help them. That is something that is truly amazing, it’s extremely unique to CMU and we are one of the only organizations that runs like this on a college campus in the entire country. That’s something to be proud of.”
Additional details and SAPA applications can be found on the SAPA page here. The deadline for applications is this Friday, Feb. 18.
“What we’re looking for are just good humans - not someone who has excellent knowledge on sexual aggression,” Bernstein said. “We’re ultimately looking for good humans who want to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Wheeler Hall incident addressed
As part of Black History Month, all SGA committees held a brief Black History trivia session. This session happened to coincide with the recent Wheeler Hall Snapchat incident, which SGA Diversity Chair Brett Houle addressed at the meeting.
“I am a strong believer that diversity and inclusion are two ideals that have to be talked about and embraced,” Houle said. “With the recurring racial incidents that take place on our campus, it is essential to understand that racism is still alive today.”
Inclement Weather Policy Legislation
Last meeting, the SGA House and Senate tabled legislation calling for the revision of current inclement weather policy and procedure.
Tonight, “A Resolution to Encourage the Central Michigan University Administration to Review and Revise the Current Inclement Weather Policy and Procedure” passed in both the House and Senate.
