The judicial branch of the Student Government Association adds programming to its docket by bringing social justice issue awareness to Loyola.

The branch’s focus this year is on hunger awareness.

Mara Steven, SGA chief justice and history pre-law and psychology junior, said this year the organization is implementing a social justice project because of an idea initiated last year.

She said she came up with the idea for the initiative last year when she noticed how the organization does so much behind-the-scenes work but she thinks has little interaction with the Loyola community.

With each month, the social justice initiative will commit to a new organization. In 2013, the justices will focus on hunger as the overall theme of their efforts. The initiative kicked off with a forum on hunger on Thursday, Oct. 24.

All SGA members will be involved in raising awareness and providing resources for how all Loyola students can engage to make a difference.

The purpose of the judicial branch include interpreting the constitution and by-laws, adjudicating on all constitutional questions or disputes, resolving disputes and controversies involving student organizations, approving the creation or elimination of executive staff position and impeaching any member of the branches, excluding the Vice President of Programming, according to article VIII of the SGA constitution.

Steven said the judicial branch is charged with promoting justice on campus.

“That involves both a system of checks and balances within our organization and being involved in greater issues in our community. The adoption of the Social Justice Initiative recognizes that justice takes on many meanings and that we must be just and right in all aspects of this definition in order to appropriately live up to our values as a student government on a Jesuit campus,” Steven said.

This year is a trial period for the organization. In the future, the group might conduct the theme in increments of semesters, Steven said. Each of the current justices is responsible for spearheading a month’s activities.

“Get really excited about it; some of the months will be more passive than interactive. For example, some will include lectures and general learning, and others will have a food drive or freerice.com event,” Steven said.

Srinee Bajaj, finance junior, said she believes the SGA justices should take on this intiative.

“It’s good that the leaders of this school are taking this initiative. We are a Jesuit institution, and we should be taking these social issues into account,” she said.

NiRey Reynolds can be reached at [email protected]