The school year at Mercer University is getting back into swing, and the first Student Government Association senate of the school year is just around the corner.
Senate meets on September 14, and it will feature a new pair at the head of the table. Austin Harrison and Taylor Jolly — also known as #TheTeam — will preside as SGA president and vice president, and they’ve already highlighted various areas where they want to focus this year. They call it the “Game Plan.”
In the Game Plan published last spring, Harrison and Jolly outlined how they want to connect and empower student organizations; strengthen relationships with the students, administration and the community; and to make the campus more “green.”
But just like their plan requires teamwork in the Mercer community, they also need a strong team at the senate table. That’s going to include everyone, from the freshman coming in to this year’s committee heads.
Those committee heads include:
Campus Engagement:
Aaron Sherf
Campus Safety and Improvements:
Olivia Buckner
Contract Services:
Chris Murdock
External Relations
(Macon Connections):
Timothy Lewis
Fiscal Affairs:
Gabriel Gonzales
Heritage Life:
Rebekah Fulton
PR & Elections:
Elizabeth McKay
Student Life and Organizational Affairs:
Caroline Loos
Each of these committees plays a different role in speaking up and acting on behalf of Mercer students. Yet, there is always room for improvement. Because of that, Harrison and Jolly are already working on incorporating new elements into how SGA interacts with the student body.
One example of this is going to be the introduction of more Bear Forums. These will be more casual, open meeting times before traditional senate where students are invited to be a part of the SGA conversation.
Harrison is also interested in starting up a State of the Campus meeting, where different organizations from around campus will have a time to communicate and collaborate. Dates for those have yet to be announced.
All of this information should also be simple to find soon on SGA’s new website, which is set to go live soon, Senator McKay said.
These initiatives are aimed at creating an SGA that is more transparent and accessible for students and organizations alike.
Need to know dates this fall:
Freshman Senator Qualifications: August 26
Freshman Senator Elections: September 1-2
MacParty hosted by College Hill: September 19
Pilgrimage to Penfield: September 25
First Bear Forum: September 28
A crash course in SGA
