The Student Government Association (SGA) is reviewing applications for eight vacant positions and held its first formal senate meeting.

There are three remaining senate vacancies, three court vacancies, and vacancies to fill the roles of Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Communications Director for SGA.

“We are here to serve the student body, and I think we have a really good group of people,” SGA Advisor Carey Mays said. “We are looking to recruit some more students to join us.”

Mays commented that this is a great school year to be in SGA because the Division of Student Affairs is in the process of revising its five-year plan, and student voices are paramount in creating a better life for future students.

Senate applications were due Monday and applications for the other positions are due Wednesday. For more information, visit the SGA Office located in Student Life.

The applicants for the remaining SGA positions will go through an SGA interview process and the chosen candidates will likely be inducted at the next formal senate meeting on Sept. 22 in Fleck 305.

On Sept. 8, with nearly a full crowd in the gallery, SGA inducted 13 officials at the organization’s first formal senate meeting of the school year, led by SGA Vice President Carlos A. Martínez.

Several of the inductees are upperclassmen who have been affiliated with either Student Life, Campus Ministry, SGA or said they are friends with SGA President Jamie Cardenas.

Officials part of the executive board alongside Martínez and Cardenas are:

·        Chief of Staff Kayla Marquez, previously helped plan The Big Event; affiliated with Student Life

·        Chief Justice of Student Court of Appeals Elizabeth Marx, junior political science major

“I have a real passion for justice,” Marx said. “In the past, the Student Court hasn’t really been for the students. Things have been swept under the rug, so I’m hoping to, in the future, be there for the student body and do what I can to change that.”

·        Parliamentarian Ashley Esparza, formerly the External Affairs Director

·        Senate Pro Tempore Oliver Guerra, a senator who was nominated and elected by the Senate during this meeting to fulfill vice president responsibilities if Martínez is unavailable.

Cabinet officials responsible for day-to-day activities are:

·        Communications Director Sophia Ojeda, sophomore social work major

·        Internal Affairs Director Ben Griffith, former vice presidential candidate

·        External Affairs Director Sabrina Latigo, handles retreat logistics for Campus Ministry

·        Service Director Amanda Rodriguez, S.E.R.V.E. 1 Day coordinator with Campus Ministry

The Big Event officials:

·        The Big Event Director Daja Shealey, helped coordinate The Big event last year; wants to plan fall service projects

·        The Big Event Assistant Director Caitlin Laughlin, also the director of the University Programming Board (UPB)

·        Program Executive Gamuchirayi Marikano, junior political science major

·        Recruitment Executive Bri Westry, sophomore biology major

·        Outreach Executive Thelma Martinez, serving in the same position for a second year

The Big Event Marketing Executive Alyseia Alexander was not present to be inducted.

Another key person who was not in attendance was the president, as Cardenas was representing the student body at a Board of Trustees retreat. She is expected is give a retreat report at the next formal senate meeting.

Additionally during this meeting, two pieces of legislation regarding SGA codes were passed:

Senate Bill No. 1 called for updating The Big Event codes to officially include the established executive positions other than The Big Event director and assistant director.

Senate Bill No. 2 amends codes to the Associate Member program, so that associate members can shadow officers in higher-ranking positions to gain better insight on how these positions work.

S.B. No. 1 was written by Shealey and S.B. No. 2 was written by Griffith. Sen. Greg Reck sponsored both bills.

“This was a very, very technical meeting with things that needed to get done to kick off the year,” Martínez said. “But we hope to see legislation next meeting, so we can discuss issues that the student body is facing.”