SGA Urges Constitution Completion
Susan Harmon
Managing Editor
The Student Government Association met Feb. 5 to discuss the constitution and the possibility of sponsoring the Diamond Girls for a baseball tailgating party Feb. 7.
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| Photo by Susan Harmon |
| Constitution - SGA President Michael Thomas listens to members opinions on revising the constitution. SGA meets every other Thursday at 12:45 in the House Room of the University Center. |
SGA President Michael Thomas started the meeting with an announcement concerning the constitution.
“I haven’t gotten anything back from the Senate on the constitution and how they are progressing,” Thomas said.
Thomas urged members to complete the update of the constitution before elections begin in April.
Thomas said the executives of the board plan to have dinner with Dr. Joycelyn Elders Feb. 18. Elders plans to speak for the Black History Month celebration.
Another privilege concerned Philander Smith College’s “Bless the Mic.”
“Pepper James from Salt n Pepa has asked us to have dinner with her during the event,” Thomas said.
Thomas reminded members about Women’s Day coming up next month. He said he wanted the first African-American Miss University of Arkansas at Monticello Evangeline Thomas Parker to speak in honor of Women’s Day March 8.
Eric Bell, a senior political science major, asked if SGA could reenact Mr. and Miss UAM.
“They used to be in all the yearbooks,” Bell said.
If members felt Mr. and Miss UAM needed to be reenacted, Thomas said he possessed information on reenacting the titles.
The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville asked the SGA to meet with its cabinet. The U of A at Fayetteville just revised its Constitution at the beginning of the school year. Thomas said he felt this would be a good opportunity to get with them about revisions of the UAM Constitution.
Thomas again stressed the importance of the completion of the constitution.
“With fraternities and popularity contests, right now pretty much anyone can get in and you don’t want that to happen again. Someone can come from the outside that knows nothing about the SGA and the SGA will go on the downfall, so to prevent that from happening we need to get the ball moving on the Constitution before March.” Thomas said. “If it (constitution) goes in effect during March, people can fight it and say it wasn’t updated and that they shouldn’t be held accountable since elections are in April.”
Thomas said if they complete constitution revisions by the end of this month, then SGA can enforce the policy that students must be a member in order to run for office.
Zack Tucker, a political science major, announced the "Constitutional Conference" already held two meetings Feb. 9 and 11, and has two meetings planned for this week, Monday at 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Tucker said a public hearing where students can give their opinion on the SGA and the constitution will take place Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m.
Thomas asked members to sponsor the Diamond Girls for a baseball tailgating party Saturday, Feb. 7. The Diamond Girls asked SGA to sponsor them because the UAM Ambassadors dropped out.
“Don’t they get a scholarship?” Bell asked.
SGA Vice-President Michael Reynolds II said even if members approved, time constraints left SGA with little time to plan for the event.
“Is the food going to be for sale?” Bell asked.
Sandy Herring, a sophomore nursing major, explained to Bell the meaning of sponsoring an event.
Reynolds proposed preparing the food on Friday and serving at the tailgating party on Saturday. SGA approved sponsoring the Diamond Girls.
Thomas closed the meeting by informing members of the Assembly meeting Feb. 12. Thomas encouraged students to attend as he plans to appoint 12 members during the meeting.
SGA meetings take place every other Thursday of the month at 12:45 p.m. in the University Center House Room. For more information concerning SGA, contact Director of Student Programs and Activities Mindy Holcomb at at 460-1396 or Holcomb@uamont.edu.
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