Coming Clean

By Manny González, SF SGA Co-Chair, Spring 2011

One of the main purposes of this article is to make explicit the goals and aspirations of SGA. By virtue of student government, consider this our “State of the Union” address regarding all matters SGA.

Each student pays student activity fees that directly fund the SGA and its activities of advocacy, professional development, and community building. We remain cognizant of the source of our funding and ensure that responsible spending and transparency are promoted. The SGA now publishes the budget that we utilize each semester and invite all students to observe and attend our monthly meetings (first Sunday of the month from 10pm-12pm).

The SGA is responsive to input from the student body, across all programs, in how to better serve the Alliant community. For this reason, the SGA will be holding a Feedback Forum where students will be invited to provide general suggestions and ask questions of their SGA representatives. We will be requesting constructive input into current projects on which we are working, such as SGA’s efforts in remodeling and redesigning the kitchen. While we won’t be able to create a shuttle service to BART during finals week, we will be able to provide the rationale behind why proposed projects may be unfeasible. Additionally, we will be asking for more specific feedback of how to effectively serve the student body.

If you are unclear who your SGA representative is, they are all listed on our office door (located next to Katie Rosenfeld’s office). If you do not have a representative and are interested in serving on SGA please contact us, as we would welcome new members. At any rate, if you have any questions, please feel free to address them in person, during our monthly meetings, or direct them to sfstudentgov@gmail.com. Finally, if you would like to leave anonymous feedback, a “suggestion box” is also located on the SGA door.

We continue to welcome your ideas and appreciate your input, and look forward to working with you all in building a better campus and enhancing student life.

First Impressions

By Zoë Brew, SFSGA Co-Chair, Spring 2011

I remember sitting in orientation, numbed from the endless stream of information being catapulted at me…And then there was SGA, wearing their buttons, heralding their cause, cajoling the masses with their presentation. It took me approximately 10 seconds to form an opinion—driven by stereotypes and residual high school night terrors, I knew “the kind of people that joined student government” and I was not one of “them.” I’d leave this exercise to the cheerleaders, the debate team, the “joiners.” My pseudo-intellectual, renegade sensibilities didn’t mesh with the SGA caricature I had created. I held onto this idea for a year before I ventured to the proverbial “dark side” and realized that SGA was anything but two-dimensional. Sure there were (and probably always will be) limitations, but here was a group of individuals with an altruistic agenda.

It’s very easy to be drawn in and believe the pervading ideas—everyone needs a despot, and SGA makes for an easy target—the rumors of nepotism and flagrant abuse of power that is wielded behind that closed door. Unfortunately, the truth is much less interesting than our collective imagination.

Here are some other opporunities to get involved with the Alliant community:

I-MERIT
I-MERIT (International and Multicultural Education, Research, Intervention, and Training) serves as the home for the University’s diversity initiatives, which are aimed at institutionalizing multicultural and international values and perspectives in all of Alliant’s education and training programs and in its organizational culture. I-MERIT conducts open meetings on the first Tuesday of every month from 1-2 p.m. Direct questions to Sharla Pidd at spidd@alliant.edu or Maya Howe at mhowe@alliant.edu.

Latino Professional Development Forum
This group creates a safe space for the exploration of the Latino cultural identity and experience in effort to develop a multicultural skill set for self-understanding and the achievement of success in intercultural transactions as students and professionals. It uses a mentorship model to link students with Latino faculty and other culturally competent professional organizations. The aim is to support Latino students in successfully graduating and becoming active professionals and mentors in the community. Contact Elena Padron at epadron@alliant.edu.

Rockway Queer Alliance
The Rockway Queer Alliance began in 2006 with a mission to provide opportunities for social support and professional development to the LGBTQ students of Alliant and students concerned with LGBT issues. The name is borrowed from The Rockway Institute with the hope of strengthening the LGBTQ community at Alliant through student research, professional development and community networking events. Goals are to provide a supportive social environment, professional growth opportunities, resources for students impacted by LGBTQ cultural issues, and to advocate for the personal and academic advancement of Alliant students interested in LGBTQ issues. For questions contact members of the executive committee: Peter Madsen, Brendon Delaney, Alexis Petrakis, Michael Seely, Natasha Gintel.