By Raeghan Hilton and Sydney Fairbanks / Jambar Contributors
Youngstown State University’s Student Government Association is working on many initiatives during the fall semester. Some of these plans include Swipe Out Hunger Week, ‘Guins Go Vote, which is a partnership with Locally Printed, Campus Cleanups and hygiene baskets that will be located in bathrooms across campus.
These initiatives started after SGA improved upon the policies currently in place. Alison Kaufman, SGA advisor and assistant director for assessment in the Institute of Teaching and Learning, elaborated on the policy changes made during her time with SGA.
“Since I’ve started, student government works more closely with committees and Academic Senate and a lot of really cool initiatives have happened in the past couple years,” Kaufman said. “Specifically with the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee and student government. We revised last year’s student evaluation of faculty, and we worked to create a common syllabus…”
Kaufman went on to elaborate that even though SGA collaborated with advisors to revise these policies and get them through YSU’s Academic Senate, the advisor’s role is to provide advice when prompted by students.
One of the student-run initiatives is Swipe Out Hunger Week, a yearly event run by SGA. The event starts Nov. 12 to raise awareness for food insecurity in Youngstown communities and on campus.
SGA President Jordan Pintar said YSU works with the Office of the Dean of Student’s Penguin Pantry to provide for students with these insecurities.
“During Swipe Out Hunger Week, we really find a way to support that food pantry, make sure they’re stocked [and] make sure students are aware of the issues of food insecurities and what they can do to help,” Pintar said.
Students can help out those in need by participating in events such as Craft for a Cause and the basket raffle. Proceeds from the basket raffle will be donated directly to the Penguin Pantry.
Pintar said this year SGA is making helpful changes to this initiative to amp up participation and help more students. One of these reforms includes finding ways to interact with students during regular school hours.
“Last year we did an event that was after [school] hours and did provide a food option but we didn’t get as much turnout as we’d like to,” Pintar said. “We’re aware that students are very busy on campus and we’re looking at the times of the days that we can do these events to make sure that more students can get involved.”
SGA is also working with Penguin Pulse — YSU’s platform for adding and finding community engagement — to centralize the Swipe Out Hunger Week efforts and allow students to donate meal swipes, which has been a student-favorite approach from past years.
Meal swipes are part of a meal plan used to eat at the Christman Dining Commons, where one swipe lets students eat as much as they’d like. According to YSU’s website, these meal plans are required for students residing in the dorms on campus.
According to YSU’s website, “All students who live in Cafaro, Lyden, Kilcawley and Wick Houses must have a meal plan. Meal plans are part of the ‘room and board’ charge applied to student accounts. All students begin each semester on the 12 Bronze meal.”
With 12 swipes, some students have leftover meals by the end of the week. During Swipe Out Hunger Week, they can donate their swipes and give those in need meal opportunities.
With the upcoming presidential election, SGA also plans on having voter registration events, a voter panel discussion and voter trivia for students to get more information.
Sofie Myers, SGA vice president, spoke about the organization’s goals for the voter registration event.
“We’re going to have important people from the community … come and talk to the penguins about the importance of voting and getting out there. We’re not here to influence how you vote. We just want you to vote,” Sofie Myers, SGA Vice President, said.
SOURCES:
Jordan Pintar, SGA President
[email protected]
330-941-3593
Sofie Myers, SGA Vice President
[email protected]
330-941-1727
Rayvin Gorrell, SGA Chief of Staff
[email protected]
330-941-3591
Alison Kaufman, SGA Advisor and Assistant Director for Assessment in the Institute of Teaching and Learning
[email protected]
330-941-4679