student government association

The role of Student Government at Houghton may sometimes seem unclear. What do we do? What is our purpose on campus? How does Student Government impact you?

These are questions that I have been in the process of asking at the beginning of this year, and the end of last year.

Photo Taken by Anthony Burdo

There is some history behind these questions. In the past few years Houghton SGA has been through a period of transition. Four years ago, Houghton Student Government was in a senate format, with many representatives from dorms, classes, and clubs. The first year I started serving on SGA the system had been adjusted to a cabinet system (with an Executive Cabinet overseeing all SGA activity, responsibility, and the class cabinet system).

These changes were well thought out. Yet, adjusting from one system to another has been a process of adjustments, and questioning the identity and role of SGA on campus. There have been a few years of low participation and tough questions about SGA’s purpose and function.

Finally, I think that SGA is poised to realize it’s potential in the cabinet system. Every class has a full or nearly full cabinet. The Executive Cabinet is full, and the freshman elections have been brimming with enthusiasm, participation, and leadership qualities.

It has taken a few years for this system to run smoothly. joanna-quote And now SGA is at the point to ask, what is the role of SGA on Houghton’s campus? We’ve mastered the basic duties of our members, although there is always improvements to make. These duties include: overseeing clubs, providing committee representation, cultivating spiritual life initiatives, representing the student body, and putting on SGA specific events.

Yet defining SGA as what we do has the danger of falling into a list of items to accomplish. So SGA’s purpose and existence must be defined above what we do.

SGA’s role on campus is to serve the student body. This is what I am seeking to embrace with my second term as president of the SGA. This is what SGA is seeking to embrace. We want to serve you, the students, in a number of ways. We want to be a source of information through the speakers we bring into our weekly meetings, and the events that we host. We want to give you the resources to form clubs. We want to look for ways for you to share your unique concerns on campus (through a committee, serving on a class cabinet, joining a club, etc.) And we want a relationship with the student body. Come into our office, start conversations, do homework on our couches. Tell us about your experiences as a student, your good ideas for the campus, or your suggestions for us. Give us feedback, let us know how we can be more effective in our governmental ministry to you. And at the very least, let us feed you donuts.

Recently, Houghton’s student Senate has been focusing on issues smaller and less apparent than in semesters past, but the work they have been doing and the conversations in their Tuesday night meetings are still relevant, and, arguably, increasingly more so, to the entire campus.

President Benjamin Hardy said one of “the most important things the SGA has done this semester [is] helping to distribute information about the recent budget cuts via word-of-mouth communication by senators and cabinet members to their peers.” This is one of the essential functions of the Senate: to distribute information on a personal basis, and increasing the amount of actual face time between students serving as senators and their peers was one of the goals of the restructuring of the Senate, which happened last semester.

Since, nothing quite so large or cumbersome has taken place, but Senate had been engaging in conversations about SPOT, the potential dropping of the Islamic Studies program, and, as stated above, the budget cuts that the college has been both contemplating and enforcing. These issues have come up during the open floor portion of Senate meetings, which is a time when any student may bring a concern or question to the SGA.

Though the student Senate cannot make the direct decision to, for example, keep Islamic Studies as a program, the members can engage in conversations with concerned students and then take those concerns into committee meetings.

President Hardy stressed the roles of students on committees. He said “[Senate has been] electing students to college councils and committees which service the present needs of students and help speak into the changes that are happening in meaningful ways. I think that a lot of students, even, sometimes, the students on committee, don’t realize how important this function is. Organizations are run part by committees and part by administrators and many of those administrators are closely advised or informed by committees.” Essentially, any student from the general population at Houghton can be a part of a committee, and they range from dealing with Houghton’s care for the environment to working with administrators in Student Life on concerns voiced by students.

Miriam Harms, a senior senator, feels that her involvement with Senate has made her better informed about the conversations and changes happening on campus. She participates on the Creation Care and Academic Council committees, and also thinks that Senate’s talks with President Mullen are educational and helpful. The President visits Senate once a month, and Harms said “You can really ask her anything you want. She explains what the college is doing, and we can even give her questions beforehand from students and senators so that she can prepare information for us.”

In the coming semester, SGA will be working with the Student Programs Office to streamline the event proposal process and forms for students. President Hardy explained the intended benefits of SGA’s work in this area. He said, “This will enable [students] to have a ‘one-stop-shop’ experience when coordinating their event, as the [potential new form] will be designed to forward relevant information to, for example, the person who coordinates the Houghton fleet, persons who manage room reservations in the intended building, or the custodians to be aware of chair or table needs.”

Other plans of the SGA include creating some sort of central, physical calendar, which should cut back on the amount of emails, posters, and slips in CPO boxes as advertising for events.

In addition to helping better organize, advertise, and support events, SGA has been working to negotiate a deal with Sodexo for a discounted price on coffee for student-run events. Java 101 and SGA had an agreement which allowed for student organizations to have coffee at events for a good price, and Sodexo has been convinced to work with students in this way.

Vice President Andiana Sidell said, “The accomplishments of Senate have been more laidback in terms of importance, but are working towards a more unified and complete support of what programs we do run … See You at the Pole and Operation Christmas Child were a hit this semester and Blood Drives continue to be something that students and Senate alike puts time into.”