Ball State Student Government Association (SGA) passed two amendments with the goal of increasing student representation in SGA April 13.
The first amendment passed requires that all student senators manage to get 100 verified student signatures for any presented resolutions.
There was a similar amendment introduced Feb. 2, 2022 that would have required 150 student signatures, but it was voted down 2-20 with five abstentions.
Related: Ball State SGA introduces an amendment to create On-Campus representation.
One of the authors of the amendment, Sen. Andrew Hopkins, encouraged SGA to pass the amendment.
“The students have no input in anything that we put forward. Us not requiring any student signatures to pass a resolution is ridiculous,” Hopkins said. “Unless we’re willing to make change, nothing is going to happen. Representing students is not the student’s job, it’s ours.”
Student senators that opposed the bill mentioned that SGA already had forms of outreach through events like the blitz — an event where SGA actively engaged with students — and tabling events.
The other co-author of the bill, Sen. Cody York, criticized the current methods of SGA’s outreach.
“The blitz and table events aren’t working. This past election only had 700 votes. We’re failing to go out and get the student input,” York said.
The amendment was passed 22-10 with one abstention.
The second amendment, regarding student representation, will change the requirements for students to become a SGA senator. Students will need to receive 50 verified student signatures in order to join the student senate on the At-Large, off-campus, or collegiate caucuses.
Related: President Pro Tempore elected, gender-inclusive bathroom resolution re-introduced
Students applying to the Collegiate Caucus can alternatively get the signatures of three professors or the dean of their prospective college along with the 50 student signatures.
President Tina Nguyen encouraged senators to vote for the amendment.
“We’re not here to sit in this room and serve ourselves. We’re here to serve students,” Nguyen said.
The amendment passed 30-3 .
The resolution involved establishing gender-inclusive bathrooms in Ball State campus buildings. The goal of the bill is to help marginalized, gender-nonconforming groups on campus feel safer. It had been previously introduced March 16.
The resolutiont passed 29-4. It will move on to the University Senate to be voted on.
SGA’s Wednesday meeting was the last meeting of Vice President Chiara Biddle who closed out the meeting encouraging SGA to, “Live, love, student gov.”
The 2022-23 school year’s senate will be inaugurated April 20.
Contact Richard Kann with comments at richard.kann@bsu.edu or on Twitter @RichardKann.
Read More
Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s pick for attorney general
By Staff Reports / 48 minutes agoMatt Gaetz has withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation, according to the Associated Press.
Man sentenced to life after being found guilty of murdering college student
By Newslink Staff / 2 hours agoJose Ibarra has been found guilty of all 10 charges in the murder case of Laken Riley.
After over three years on the transplant list, Ball State student shares his story
By Ella Howell / 3 hours agoThan Win searches for a donor for his autoimmune disease resulting in kidney failure and dialysis.
