SGA hosts first meeting in Al Neuharth Media Center

The USD Student Government Association held their first meeting for the 2018-2019 term as well as their first meeting in the Al Neuharth Media Center Freedom Forum.

Prior to this year, SGA meetings were held upstairs in the Muenster University Center. Besides the location change of the meetings, they will now be live streamed on channel 21 and the SGA Facebook page.

SGA president Josh Sobre and vice president Madison Green both said they are excited for the increased professionalism required for live broadcasts.

“It requires a lot more preparation which is a great thing,” Sorbe said. “We will have to make sure people are well versed before we get to meetings so that when we are live streaming we are professional and we’re efficient. I think this is a beneficial adaptation that I am happy we get to undergo.”

Green said the live streaming will teach the senators a greater level of accountability, which she said she hopes they already have as representatives.

“They are the representatives of our student body, but I think (live streaming) is going to really teach them to speak professionally and how to hold themselves accountable.”

Fine arts senator Kevin Huizenga said one of his concerns with the new location is losing the central location the MUC facility offered to students. He said he believes the new technology offered in the Neuharth center will compensate for the location change, however.

“I think the technology will definitely be beneficial in the long run,” Huizenga said. “Some issues that we’ve had in the MUC like we can’t hear each other from noises outside as well of the lack of amplification and equipment, will be improved with this location.”

The first meeting saw the swearing in of six new senators, both first-year senators and at-large senators: Macy Halverson, Hannah Booth, Kyle Sorbe, John Freidel, Tallon Everson and Mathew Colbert.

Hannah Booth, sophomore political science and criminal justice double major, was sworn in and elected to the state and government committee. Booth said she was persuaded to join SGA by her friends who are currently involved.

“I have friends that are serving as senators and I have heard good things,” Booth said. “I knew that it was a good way to reach the USD community in a positive way.”

The new senators were given a list of all the committees prior to the first meeting but did not know which committee they were appointed to until the meeting.

“We could rank which one you felt you could help with,” Booth said. “I would have been fine with any committee, I just want to help where I’m needed.”

After the new senators were sworn in, the Senate discussed bill number 74, a special appropriation for a new USD organization, USD Grow. USD Grow requested a total of $260 for their 2018-19 funding, which the SGA finance committee allocated.