Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association...

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Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor Campus Relations Director Vincent 4 5 Legislative Affairs Director Brandt Community Relations Director 6 7 Administrative Assistant Corona Appropriations Committee 8 9 Senate Affairs Committee Student Relations and Involvement 10 11 Legislative & Political Action Committee Senator Spotlights 12 13-22 SGA in the Community Our Purpose 23 24 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Transcript of Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association...

Page 1: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Fall 2015 Newsletter

Student Government Association

December 10, 2015

President Gonzalez

Vice-President Morgan

2

3

Treasurer Taylor

Campus Relations Director Vincent

4

5

Legislative Affairs Director Brandt

Community Relations Director

6

7

Administrative Assistant Corona

Appropriations Committee

8

9

Senate Affairs Committee

Student Relations and Involvement

10

11

Legislative & Political Action Committee

Senator Spotlights

12

13-22

SGA in the Community

Our Purpose

23

24

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Page 2: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

President Gonzalez

Greetings Tiger Nation! As we near the end of 2015, all I can say

is, “where did the time go?” The fall semester was extremely busy, engag-

ing, but overall fun for the Student Government Association. Many things

were accomplished, but we have a lot more work to do to continue enhanc-

ing the lives of the students at Fort Hays State University. Events such as

Oktoberfest Safety Week, Time to be a Tiger Week, and the Campus Safe-

ty Walk were just a few of the things that made the college experience for

students an enjoyable one.

As you all know, every month I have the opportunity to attend the

Kansas Board of Regents meetings. At those meetings, I convene with the

six Student Body President’s from the other regent institutions and Wash-

burn to focus on issues concerning higher education in the state of Kansas.

I took an oath last May to protect and represent the best interests of the stu-

dents at FHSU. With the opportunity to meet at KBOR every month, I am

blessed to represent the interests of the students at a statewide level as

well. Issues where our main focus has been this year is those of conceal

and carry on campus, the Lifeline 911 bill, and issues concerning diversity

and inclusion. It is an amazing opportunity to work with these student leaders from different areas of the state to

better the future of students in the state of Kansas.

Locally, many things are continuing to happen for the students of Fort Hays State University. Thanks to

the help of former SGA members, the traffic appeals process occurs more frequently throughout the year as op-

posed to two times a year. That is one of the things I am happy to check off mine and Vice President Morgan’s

platform. However, that is just one of many goals we hope to accomplish. In the spring semester, I will be focus-

ing on trying to get a success week on our campus (replacement of a dead week), create a SGA mentorship pro-

gram for potential interested students, continue to enhance diversity and inclusion on our campus, and bring a

campus safety application to campus to increase our public safety measures. These are just a few of the ideas that I

want to implement for the students of FHSU.

Before I finalize, I want to express ever most gratitude to my amazing executive team for the hard work

and effort they put into everything they do. So much could not have been accomplished without their assistance,

determination, and passion. Each and every one of them are amazing leaders and demonstrate amazing leadership

potential. I would not be where I am today without them. I would also like to give a big thank you to all senators

for all their accomplishments in making this campus a better place.

I look forward to starting a new semester and promise to continue working hard in order to make the best

out of my term for the students of Fort Hays State University. I wish the Tiger family a joyous holiday season and

a relaxing winter break. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ulises Gonzalez

Student Body President

Page 3: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Vice-President Morgan

Hello, Tiger Family! The Fall 2015 semester has been nothing

but a success for Student Government Association as we come to a

close before Christmas Break! This semester has been very busy for

every member of our SGA team, but I could not have asked for a bet-

ter group of leaders to work with. Each one of them has worked very

hard and has strived to represent the students of Fort Hays State Uni-

versity in the best way possible. This semester, Student Government

Association held our first freshmen/KAMS elections, we have assist-

ed with many events such as Voter Registration Day, and we even

had the opportunity to work with United Way for United Way Week!

This semester I have been blessed with the opportunity to lead

a group of 28 senators and it has easily been one of the most reward-

ing things that I have done in my time at Fort Hays. Each and every

one of the senators has been involved in many different aspects on

campus, whether it is serving on multiple campus wide committees or

helping with events such as Voter Registration or United Way Week. They have all grown into effective and

engaged leaders. I am honored to be able to work with them!

As Vice President, my main duty is to oversee the senators and the senate meetings. To that end, I

have worked closely with our new GA John Nicholson to develop an effective orientation and training for

each of our senators. He has also worked very hard to complete an SGA Blackboard shell that will contain

access to all of our legislation, constitution, and by-laws. It will eventually help us to develop more trainings

that senators can complete over the course of the academic year. This semester I also have helped to coordi-

nate our annual campus safety walk with University Police and Facilities Planning. I have worked to get our

Public Safety and Awareness Committee up and going. As the semester has come to an end, I have been

working with Treasurer Jacob Taylor to hold three allocations workshops and we have started to get that pro-

cess organized for when we return in the spring semester.

President Gonzalez and I look forward to serving the rest of our term and are excited to check more off

of our platform. We have accomplished so much already, but we have the potential to achieve even more in

the spring. I am excited to return for the spring semester to see what else Student Government Association is

going to accomplish. Before I close, I want to wish my fellow Tigers a happy, safe, and relaxing holiday sea-

son and New Year!

Molly Morgan

Vice President

Page 4: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

This fall we were privileged enough to attend an Association of Student Government Association's con-

ference. SGA representatives that were able to attend included Ulises Gonzalez, Molly Morgan, Rebecca

Vincent, Emily Brandt, Citllali Corona, Lizette Avalos and Brent Hirsch. This fall it was located in Dal-

las, Texas. The trip started out on an exciting note because we, western Kansas folks, managed to get our-

selves lost in the downtown Dallas area for about an hour! There was no better way to bond. The FHSU

SGA representatives that were able to attend surely bonded more so in that hour then we would have done

all semester! Once we made it to the right place the learning began. We each attended various lectures put

on by SGA experts, past presidents, and professionals. Topics included were how to build a more effec-

tive SGA, maximize our leadership potential, and learning how to work more effectively as a team. Mem-

ories were made, experiences were had and knowledge was brought back to FHSU. Thank you to every-

one that helped get us there!

-Jacob Taylor, Treasurer

Favorite SGA Event

Page 5: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

I have been lucky enough to have been serving as the Student Gov-

ernment Associations Campus Relations Director for the past five

months. My job as Campus Relations Director is to create, and

maintain relationships with on campus entities. The things I was able

to do this semester with the help of all of the Student Government

Association Senators, was only the beginning. In September, we

spent a week raising money and awareness for the United Way. We

raised over $200.00 through a Senator Auction, collecting spare

change, and giving students the opportunity to pie executive staff

members in the face in exchange for a donation. In November, in

coordination with the office of Transition and Student conduct, we

hosted a week of activities that revolved around the tiger pact, “Time

to be a Tiger Week”. I have also created Senator Spotlight’s that run once a week to help the student body

become more familiar with our senators. I have had the opportunity to serve on various University committees

including the Experiential Leaning Committee, the UNIV 101 Steering Committee, the Alumni Mentor Steer-

ing Committee and the Faculty Senate Student Affairs Committee. I sit a student repetitive on each of these

committees raising concerns and thoughts for the benefit of the student body. During the fall semester I hope

to continue all the programs I have created as well as begin new ones. I will continue my efforts with the Cul-

tural Competency Task force, and further our efforts of improving our campus culture and inclusion. I will

also continue to stay active on all social media outlets to help increase our presence and to better advertise our

events and programming efforts. I will also work to get our mentor program up and running to better increase

the demand to be a part of the Student Government Association. I will continue also strive to maintain the

relationship I have created thus far, as well as strive to create many more. I have enjoyed every second of

working for the Student Government Association. Together, in just a short time, we have done amazing

things. I cannot wait to see what the future hold for the Student Government Association and our campus re-

lations. My fellow Tigers, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Campus Relations Director Report

Rebecca Vincent

Page 6: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

We welcome our new Legislative Affairs Director Emily Brandt to SGA! Emily is currently a junior

majoring in Political Science and Biology with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Leadership

Studies. Emily is from the small town of Beloit, Kansas. She has been a part of the Student Govern-

ment Association since January of 2015, serving as senator for the College of Arts and Sciences; she

was the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee before being the Chair of the Appropriations

Committee, and the College of Arts and Science Majority Leader.

Emily has a passion for politics, staying up to date on current issues, and getting involved on campus.

She currently serves as the Political Science Club President, Vice President of Membership for Alpha

Kappa Psi and peer mentor for the Heart and Mind Learning and Living Community. Emily is also a

member for the Fort Hays Young Democrats, Fort Hays Honor Society, Brass Choir and Women’s

Chorale. In her spare time she volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, plays tennis, and tells many

great jokes.

After graduating from Fort Hays State University, Emily plans to attend Law school and practice en-

vironmental law. She is excited to be a member of the SGA Executive Staff and to see where this po-

sition takes for. Emily is looking forward to bringing relevant issues for students to light serving the

student body of Fort Hays State University.

Legislative Affairs Director Report

Emily Brandt

Page 7: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Community Relations Director Report

Lizette Avalos

The fall 2015 semester has been great! I was able to return as the Community Relations Director for

SGA. Having the opportunity to serve in this position for another academic year has given me the bene-

fit of continuing projects I started previously. One of the biggest projects I had been working on since

the Spring of 2015 was Party Registrations.

The Hays Police Department has a the “Party Smart” program for years. Last year, SGA partner with

HPD by allowing students to register online at fhsustudents.org. SGA also provided “party packs” as an

incentive to those who register their parties. Each party pack includes information on how to party safe,

trash bags, snacks. phone numbers in case of an emergency. This year we were able to get 11 parties

registers!

This semester I have also represented SGA through the Honors Hub. I also sit as the student representa-

tive of the Global Learning Committee. Being able to represent SGA through other organizations in a

great way to work together for the betterment of our university.

Next semester will be my last and I am looking forward to great events SGA will be having including

Higher Education Day, Tiger Day at the Capitol, and the Big Event!

Page 8: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Favorite SGA Event

The integrity of the student government association is based on helping maintain a safe and

proactive environment, catering to the needs of students. This objective is being met

through the resources provided throughout the nation. We are stimulated by the involve-

ment of our colleagues who go above and beyond to make a difference in the community.

This has brought upon the responsibility of attending the ASGA training conference in Dal-

las, Texas. Which in my perspective, it has been preparing me, individually to enhance my

knowledge skills such as better note-taker and learning from my mistakes. Overall, this se-

mester has been a memorable experience in which it has brought me closer to each individ-

ual, and becoming one strong team.

-Citlali Corona, Administrative Assistant

Page 9: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Appropriations

Committee Report

The Appropriations Committee of the Student Government

Association has been working diligently to provide funding to CSI

approved student organizations who do not receive allocations. This

semester we have funded seven groups for a total of 6,900 dollars. This

includes five trip requests along with one individual request to present a

thesis and one equipment request. We have also spent some time

updating the Appropriations request form to make it easier for student

organizations to request funds. The committee has had a great semester,

and we look forward to helping more student groups enhance their

educational experience after the break!

-Emily Brant, Chair

Page 10: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Senate Affairs

Committee Report

Fall semester 2015 ran without a hitch

for the Senate Affairs Committee. This

semester Senate Affairs interviewed two

potential senators (Tory Arnberger and

Alyssa Steppe) and both passed the

senate vote filling two vacant seats.

Senate affairs has allocated a large

about of time to reviewing the bylaws

and constitution of the Student

Government Association, processing

changes which come as necessity over

time.

Lastly, Senate Affairs interviewed each of the executive staff

members, gaging the interest each officer has in their position and

how the leadership is

affecting the academic

pursuit of each student

leader. The results of the

interviews provide only

positive outlooks for our

executive staff. Senate

Affairs looks forward to

severing the senate and

student body in the

semester to come!

–Sam DeVore, Chair

Page 11: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Student Relations &

Involvement Committee Report

This semester marked the roll out of the Student Government’s Student

Relations and Involvement Committee, and what a successful roll out it was!

The goal of the creation of this committee was to help market the Student

Government Association as a resource for students and the university

community as a whole, and to consolidate SGA’s outreach efforts into a

single efficient unit. The committee began working in earnest in mid-

September, helping to coordinate voter registration events in the Memorial

Union, which gave hundreds of students the opportunity to begin the process

of registering to vote. The Committee also helped to host a program called

“Ben Franklin Papers,” where local fifth graders are brought to the

University to hear presentations on the life and work of Ben Franklin. In

October, the Committee facilitated a week’s worth of fundraising events for

the United Way of Ellis County. The Committee was so excited to be able to

begin working this year, and only expect to become even more active in the

spring of 2016!

-Vivian Agnew, Chair

Page 12: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

Legislative & Political

Action Committee Report

Within the LPAC, the fall semester has consisted of three main topics.

The committee was presented with a proposed student fee increase to

review named the “Fort Hays State University Experience and

Opportunity Fund.” This proposal consists of three parts; one related to

the FHSU Honors College, another to the Undergraduate Research

Experience, and the last to a University Travel Fund. The committee

has spent a great deal of time discussing the proposal, seeking

information from multiple offices on campus, conducting interviews,

and analyzing survey results to ensure proper decisions will be made in

January when the spring semester begins.

The other two items of business this past semester in the committee

were the planning efforts for Higher Education Day, which will be

February 3, 2016, as well as Tiger Day at the Capitol which is

scheduled to be February 23, 2016. Application forms were created for

both events, and the form was distributed for Higher Education Day.

Further logistics aspects for both events have taken place, and will

continue as we move towards the spring semester. The spring semester

is traditionally a busier time for this committee, and therefore the fall

semester consisted vastly of planning and preparing for the events that

will take place in the spring.

Cody Sheck, Chair

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President Gonzalez &

Vice-President Morgan

participate in the activities at the

Relay for Life event

Homecoming Candidates: President Gonzalez,

former Administrative Assistant Archer,

Senator Johnson, Community Relations Director

Avalos, and Senator Scheck

President Gonzalez and Vice-President Morgan at

the Homecoming Parade

Page 24: Fall 2015 Newsletter - fhsustudents.org€¦ · Fall 2015 Newsletter Student Government Association December 10, 2015 President Gonzalez Vice-President Morgan 2 3 Treasurer Taylor

We, the students of Fort Hays State University,

organize ourselves as the Student Government

Association for the purpose of serving, protecting and

promoting the interests and rights of the students of

this institution. In order to carry out the collective

welfare of all the students. We represent the interests

of the students to the administrators of FHSU, the

Kansas Legislature, and the Kansas Board of Regents