The window outside the SGA office in YU 156. The association, which acts as the voice of the student body, currently has a variety of open positions.
Photo by Lindsey Jalivay
By Ryan Marcyjanik
Many of the organizations at UW-Superior have faced a variety of challenges related to recruiting an adequate number of members. The over 50 clubs and organizations on campus allow students to get involved and make the campus community more connected. Among these groups is the Student Government Association (SGA), whose main goal is to serve as the voice of the students and put those voices into action. Like many of these other groups, SGA has faced a variety of challenges during the 2020-21 school year when it comes to recruiting members.
At the time of this writing, there are a variety of student government positions open, including a number of senatorships and liaison roles. Students who take on these leadership roles will engage in the passing and origination of legislation, maintenance of committees, and representation of the student body.
One of the biggest tasks undertaken by student government is the distribution of funds to all of the student organizations on campus. This process, spearheaded by the Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee (SUFAC), takes place every spring and impacts every organization across campus.
SUFAC Chair Travis Rosin, a senior, acknowledges the difficulties that have come with a smaller senate. “At first it was very difficult, as we only had about four members, so there wasn’t much we could actually do.”
Henry Collier, a sophomore in his second year as a member of student government, is the senator representing the history and social inquiry departments, as well as the chairman of the Student Judicial Committee (SJC). SJC is responsible for a variety of roles, including monitoring the functioning of the senate and operating elections.
“There are plans for making it easier for people to run for positions…possibly holding debates in the YU so that students can see what is being talked about and get them more interested in what is going on,” said Collier when asked about how SGA might look to increase membership.
The third major SGA committee is the Student Affairs Committee (SAC), which holds responsibility for student life, service and concerns. At present, SAC does not have a chairperson, but the role is usually filled by the vice president of the senate.
SGA is always happy to accept new members and looks forward to having more student involvement in the future. SGA not only amplifies the voice of the student body, but they also help students who are interested in politics, as student government is a good training ground for political involvement and education on how the system works. “Hopefully, as things get as back to as normal as possible, the SGA will be able to gain more interested students who look to make a difference on campus and in the community,” said Rosin.
SGA meets every Thursday, alternating between regular meetings and committee meetings with student faculty. These meetings are free and open to the public, and more information can be found in the student digest.
If you have any questions about SGA, or are interested in applying for one of the open seats, email them at senate@uwsuper.edu. The SGA office can be found in YU 156.
