The Student Government Association jumps into the new semester, establishing plans for the rest of the school year and continuing to work on those launched in the fall.

“(The goal is to have) a lot more joint effort in university or college initiative. I’ve seen students complain and I want to make sure student needs are met,” said Ashley Shabankareh, vice-president and music education and music industry studies junior.

One major way SGA seeks to do this is by emphasizing the role of the Director of Student Identity, a position that was created at the beginning of the school year.

“(The Director of Student Identity) is basically responsible for a lot of the on campus interaction between students and faculty, and students and student government,” said Cade Cypriano, SGA president and political science senior.

The Director of Student Identity – Chad Carson, sociology junior – will be responsible for heading the Social Justice Audit Committee, which will investigate the funds of facilities and faculty members. This will help to meet attempts to work towards the mission and the identity of the school, Cypriano said.

“Also, we’re going to try and further reform allocations and reduce wasteful spending so that we’re good stewards of the student funds,” he said.

Those funds will support the continuation of the book subsidy program, which provided money to students who couldn’t afford their textbooks last semester. All that a student needs to do to receive the financial support, Shabankareh noted, is fill out a form in the SGA office. The money would then be divided equally among the applicants.

The new Loyola bookstore manager will also be attending SGA meetings monthly, to listen to concerns associated with textbook costs.

“Obviously, bookstore prices are a huge issue, especially when you can get (the books) online for cheaper,” Shabankareh said.

In addition, SGA hopes to increase aid to the student body this semester by helping to pay for the fees associated with graduate tests, such as the MCAT, LSAT and GRE.

Another continuing goal is the beautification of the campus that commenced last semester with new benches and the installation of the fountain outside of the Danna Center.

“We’re going to do some more landscaping stuff, and hopefully bring some magnolia trees on campus,” said Cypriano. “We’re also putting in a sustainability garden which would be both a beautification and a learning opportunity for students.”

Other methods of improving student life are also being discussed.

“We’re committed to working with UP and Physical Plant to improve upon garage security – that might be cameras in the stairwells or extra fencing,” Cypriano said.

He added that SGA is endeavoring to develop closer relationships within the consortium of universities in the New Orleans area, including Tulane, Xavier, and Dillard Universities.
“Hopefully, that will yield interschool cooperation to get a mass transit deal working by next year so that students can take the bus or the streetcar for free,” he said.

Yet one of the most important goals for SGA is the commitment to connecting to students, particularly through the support for the SGA House of Representatives and the success of elections at the end of the year.

“Hopefully we can really utilize the increased level of involvement and energy of this incoming class, this freshman class, to show them the possibilities that our student government has,” Cypriano said.

“The major thing is to get students involved.”
Shabankareh also emphasized the significance of student participation.

“SGA has a large role in what passes and what does not. That’s why we need student input,” she said.

To help do so, SGA is directly reaching out to the students through the use of surveys.

“There is a multitude of ways that we can utilize the surveys, from policy making to resolutions passed by individual senators,” said Sam Bradley, SGA chief of staff and music junior. “We’re going to be stressing the importance of senators getting out there and meeting with the constituents in their colleges.”

The necessity of communication between SGA and the student body is apparent in yet to be resolved issue of the grading policy that was brought up last.

“I’ve taken an active role in representing the students’ concerns, but it’s going through different committee processes on campus,” Cypriano said. “I sit on the University Planning Team and I’m using that as well my relationship with the deans and my working relationship with the office of the Provost of Academic Affairs to make sure students’ voices are heard.”

As other issues arise, Cypriano noted that the power of Loyola’s student government will help secure the influence of students in university affairs.

“We’ve already elevated our position on campus by having positions on the university level committees and being able to actually direct policy on campus,” he said. “Insuring that we keep those positions and improve upon them and be involved in more of the planning on the administrative and university level – really everything goes towards that.”

Masako Hirsch can be reached at [email protected].