Town hall meeting tackles issues

The Student Government Association addressed issues regarding Sodexo dining services, updates on the building of the new stadium, and campus building renovations at Monday's town hall meeting in the Opal Johnson-Smith auditorium.

In a meeting where SGA executive, legislative and judicial boards were introduced, students were given the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, and voice opinions regarding issues on campus.

Sophomore human and health performance major Joshua Leffall said, "On one occasion I went to the MSC to eat and the fish I was served was undercooked. Another time, I went to the ice machine and a critter crawled out as I was getting some ice. I feel that we pay too much money to be served as poorly as we do."

Another major issue was the lack of adequate building space, operation hours, and computer labs, as students lobbied for the idea of the library being open 24 hours, with the rules restricting unnecessary noise being strictly enforced. Students even went as far as referring to the library as "Club Coleman," because of irate noise levels during studying hours. Students also voiced their concerns about funding of the new stadium being prioritized over educational and housing issues students are facing.

Senior animal science major Demetrius Reed said, "They're not being considerate of the students' needs, and the university has stopped the animal science/agriculture departments from using the money that was given to us for better facilities and resources."

Students were also given an opportunity to see the first viewing of the "Power" series, which depicted real students speaking out on real problems such as campus facilities, prices in the MSC, housing, "invisible fees," financial aid, and the new stadium. The video, produced by 4 Eyes Media, encouraged students to use their power to make change on the campus for the present and future years.

A major concern of SGA was the attendance, as it was poor in comparison to talent shows or entertainment events, indicating a lack of concern among the student population. According to SGA Vice President Edward Carrigan, administrative presence wasn't emphasized because the town hall meeting was directed more toward gaining student support and feedback.

Carrigan said, "Those who are really concerned about the progression of the university will attend future town hall meetings. We want to get to the point where all other obligations are void for town hall meetings, similar to President Wright's general assemblies."