Believe me, I never thought that I would care about our Student Government Association (SGA) at my collegiate institute. I’m not a Democrat or a Republic, in fact, I’m politically neutral. I don’t have the time to argue about who can have what bake sale and where. I’ve always wanted to evoke real change, and I simply didn’t see SGA as an avenue to do this.
Boy, was I ignorant.
It is easy to talk trash about something you don’t know about, that’s basically all of the Internet. However, we have to caution ourselves to bring the many faults of Internet culture into our real time lives. I let my conceptions of high school student government and all of the television shows and movies mocking SGA, that I robbed myself of years that I could have been a change maker at my college.
Within SGA at Wichita State, we decided where our all $11 million dollars of our student fees are allocated. We create programs that benefits the student body, from the point of their acceptance letter to the time that they walk across the stage at graduation. We fight back when we feel like our rights as students are being infringed upon, and that’s just a little snapshot.
Therefore, with the hope that you all are a lot more open-minded than I was as a college freshman, here’s a list of real reasons your involvement Student Government Association can make a real difference.
Being involved in an organization that is more than yourself teaches you how to think big.
Student Government is not for the senators, committee chairs, or even the cabinet. Student Government is for the students of your institution. Like the United States government, SGA needs representatives who don’t have an ulterior motive. SGA needs people whose personal agendas are to represent their constituents to the best of their ability. On day one, you won’t completely know how, but you have the passion. The know-how comes from your colleagues and advisors.
Over time, you start to think on a larger scale. You start to not think about you, you start to think about the group of students that you are representing. You start to think about the extra fees that students of your college are paying within your university, that other colleges may not be. You start to wonder if there is a lack of student support in your college. As you start wondering, you start talking to the students that you represent, and you get what the fuss is all about. Each student can’t go to the Dean of the College and make them listen, but you as a Senator can.
You learn how to act and how to talk. Fast.
I have never had to defend my thoughts so quickly, or sit in the same room with individuals who are the exact opposite of me in every single way possible. The only thing we have in common is the fact that we attend the same University, and we are in this group together.
When you’re in a position like this, you learn an age old truth: every single word that you say can be taken in a variety of ways. Every opinion that you hold has the right to be challenged. There needs to be coherent reason for your actions. SGA teaches you the meaning of personal accountability, and the domino effect of your actions.
You do not have to give all of your time if you do not want to, or have the time to give.
At Wichita State, if you do not want to give the time commitment of a Senator, you can serve on a committee. At WSU, each Senator is required to serve on a committee. Additionally, any member of the student body can apply to serve on a committee as well. Committees, who meet weekly, have so much power to evoke real change within the University, and reach beyond if desired. Due to the fact that committees may be limited by sheer people-power, we need more students to join committees and keep us and Senators in check. We need your diversity of thought and opinion. We need your various student experiences.
Public Forum is a time for you to complain and not propose any solutions.
Let’s be honest, everyone loves to complain. It feels good to throw your burden onto some other poor soul. If you don’t have time to serve on a committee or a senator seat, you can come voice your concerns in public forum. Often, at Wichita State we have themed forums. On that particular Wednesday night, you can come voice all of your concerns about that topic, and we as Senators will shut up and listen. This is your time.
If you really want to be a change-maker in the world, this organization is your first-step.
In all reality, SGA serves as a microcosm for the larger world that we are in. How we choose to act and be involved in this environment, can predict how we will act as citizen. If you have global aspirations, start local, and work your way outward. If you have the passion and the drive, watch how your actions can make your University a better place for all students. Then add that to your resume.
Conclusion
To make a change, you have to put in the work, and surround yourself with individuals who reflect both that mindset and work ethic. You have to surround yourself with people who do not think it is enough to see a problem and wait for someone else to fix it. Change is never instant. It is always the result of discussions, battles, and processes happening in the background.
If you want to make real change, get behind the scenes, do it. Once it’s done, wear that progress on your sleeve. Engage the student body, enhance their experiences, and empower everyone that you meet.
Sincerely,
Honors College Senator, 58th and 59th Sessions of Wichita State’s Student Government Association
Get Involved and Stay Up-to-Date:
- Open Positions: http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=sga&p=/openpositions/
- Your Senators: http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=sga&p=/cabinet/profiles/legislative_branch/
- Your Cabinet: http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=sga&p=/cabinet/profiles/executive_branch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WichitaStateSGA/
- Twitter: @WichitaStateSGA
