The Student Government Association’s nomination committee introduced a new process for probationary senators during the Oct. 14 meeting.
The nomination committee is responsible for screening applicants once they have filled out the application.
“We make sure the applicants meet the minimum requirements to be in the SGA,” senate chair Jonathan Moody, psychology junior, said.
Two students were asked during the meeting to answer four questions for the senate. They were asked why they wanted to be in the SGA, to list their strengths and weaknesses and what skills they could bring to the organization.
Moody said these are typical questions the committee would ask during the meeting with interested students, and the committee is now making the questions public in order to make the SGA more open so students can get a better idea of how the SGA works.
“I’m hoping this will make the SGA more legitimate, and that people will think more highly of us if things are out in the open,” Moody said.
The nomination committee underwent these changes after the discrimination miscommunication involving senator Yana Baker, political science freshman.
“We haven’t had any problems with the nomination committee before per se, but we’re hoping this will change the legitimacy of the organization and students will understand the SGA and its procedures,” Moody said.
Two new probationary senators, Alex Kleppa, advertising senior, and Dulguun Otgonsuren, informatics freshman, were the first to answer the questions in front of the senate.
Executive secretary Aaron Neely, psychology junior, said the two have incredible work ethic because they’re a part of the fraternity Kappa Sigma.
“They have the ability to contact people, and they spend a lot of time talking to the student body,” he said. “Their work ethic is above standard. I’ve never seen guys work as hard as they have.”
The SGA also discussed the idea of putting together a football team in order to learn to work better as an organization and spend time with the student body, as presented at last week’s meeting by SGA president Amanda Denbo, business senior.
Ultimately, the SGA did decide to form teams to play against each other.
The SGA public relations committee had a meeting Oct. 12 to discuss ways to get student feedback.
“We talked about moving meetings around — doing a couple in the lodges or in the cafeteria,” senator Max Johnson, undecided freshman, said. “We also think office hours could be spent around the clock tower. Set up a table and talk to people as they pass by.”
By AMANDA
CHIAMULERA
Staff
alchiamu@umail.iu.edu