BY CORIE LYNN
The spring semester is drawing to a close. For students, Zoom meetings are winding down and final projects are coming due as finals approach. With the end of the eventful semester, Fort Hays State University’s Student Government Association held their final spring meeting.
Typically, these meetings begin with weekly reports from each executive staff member and committee chair. With the conclusion of semester activities, only President DeMers, Vice President Musgrove and Legislative Affairs Director Wisley gave reports.
During his report, DeMers stated that he and Musgrove met with FHSU’s Senior Leadership Team to discuss tuition.
“It’s a very fluid situation with a lot of factors going in,” he said. “The governor, the legislature and a lot of other things on the federal level, so [I am] not going to comment about any sort of things with tuition, but know we’re in conversations about that and we’re looking at those types of things weekly.”
Along the line of student funding, DeMers also discussed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the Student Emergency Assistance Fund. The latter, overseen by the SGA, will make final reviews of applications for student funding in the coming week.
Following this, DeMers informed the student senate that he is part of the University’s Alcohol Taskforce, which, at present, is discussing the possibility of selling alcohol at Lewis Field Stadium. The taskforce, DeMers said, was still looking at the factors involved with selling alcohol at the stadium, but he wanted to gauge the initial response of the student senators. The general response from the senators favored selling alcohol, though several still had questions about its implementation.
His final notes included informing the students that the sidewalk between the President’s Residence and Stroup Hall would be installed in the next couple of weeks.
Musgrove then gave a short report, stating that he worked on transition materials for the incoming SGA Executive Staff and sent out the list of candidates for the university’s Navigator Award. Both he and DeMers concluded their reports by thanking the SGA for the great year.
Wisley’s report, too, involved preparing for transition. On her part, this included the transition of the American Civil Liberties Union on campus for further work in the Fall semester.
With no other reports, the Student Senate moved into Open Forum. During this time, the organization voted on the SGA Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes one of their members for their work within the Student Senate. This year’s recipient was LAD Wisley.
Also during this time, DeMers acknowledged that many students may be experiencing anxiety about the Fall semester and so reminded the SGA to continue checking their email for information about the next semester.
President-elect Haley Reiter used the Open Forum to inform the senators that applications for SGA Executive Staff positions will be open on Tiger Tracks until Friday evening, May 1. These positions are paid and open to any interested student regardless of whether they have been a member of the SGA or not.
As there was no further business or announcements, the meeting concluded with the Student Chief Justice swearing in President-elect Reiter and Vice President-elect Bryson Homman.
Per tradition, DeMers and Musgrove then gave the “Bat and Ball” speech, which outlines the duties and purpose of their positions. Musgrove concluded the speech by addressing Homman.
“Senator and Vice President-elect Homman,” he said, “just make sure that, no matter what, you’re able to give Senate the tools it needs to work and to get everything done that needs to get done because it’s full of wonderful people every year. We’re passionate about the students, and you just need to give them the opportunity to succeed and they will.”
The Student Government Association then adjourned and will reconvene in the 2020 Fall semester.