SGA Update 4/8/2019

The Student Government Association welcomed guest speakers to discuss a new way to improve Southeast's enrollment and retention rates, elected a new executive leader and approved four funding requests at its meeting on Monday, April 8.

Looking for creative ways to increase enrollment at Southeast, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success Deborah Below brought in the associate director of recreations Eric Redinger and gaming students Nick Demos and Brenden Leahy to speak to the Senate about bringing intramural eSports to Southeast.

Redinger decided to collaborate with the gaming club to help this idea of having a competitive eSports club as an intramural sport at Southeast. The idea included potentially creating a competitive gaming arena in the Towers Complex and bringing in surrounding high school eSport gamers to participate. Since they are considered a Southeast organization, they are eligible to receive allocations. These allocations will help send students to competitive gaming tournaments and allow students to have their own place for gaming.

Below and Redinger expressed getting the word out to prospective students about the new video gaming program could potentially bring them to Southeast.

Below has not yet proposed a set amount of money to ask for assistance, but estimated the overall cost will be between $100,000 to $120,000. This cost will include buying equipment, renovating the space, keycard access and security cameras.

SGA vice president Eli Bohnert updated SGA on his role now that Matt Rolwing no longer holds the position of SGA president.

Bohnert said the SGA bylaws state in the event the president can no longer hold his or her position, they do not need to be replaced.

“ I will be serving in the role solely to do the duties. I will not be becoming president, but I will stay vice president,” Bohnert said.

With his new duties, Bohnert started the proceedings to fill the vacant parliamentarian position.

Senator for STEM, Payton Ruddy was nominated to be parliamentarian. After a close vote with the Senate, Ruddy was awarded the parliamentarian placard.

Graduate assistant Kacee Kullum said they are going to purchase six new hammocks for the main campus and river campus.

SGA awarded a total of $3,002.08 in funding to four campus organizations.

Phi Beta Lambda, an organization for students interested in business and business majors, requested funding for 11 members to attend a state leadership conference.

The organization was awarded $1,205.

Southeast’s new Chess Club received $997.08 to purchase equipment and have a kickoff tournament.

Club president Ronnie Raghav Juneja said there haven’t been meetings yet because of the lack of equipment.

After seven years, Southeast’s Omicron Pi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. is hosting the LaDonna White scholarship reception April 26.

“It’s like a retention tool for the university where we are giving out a $500 scholarship to a freshman female with a 3.0 GPA or above just to make sure they know that we are here for them,” chapter president Jaleea Hudson-Wilson said.

The organization asked for funding to purchase decorations and was awarded $200.

The Baptist Student Center will be hosting a weeklong series of events for their Messer Lecture starting April 9 and requested funding for speaker fees and catering. This week will include art gallery showings, book signing, forums and a guest speaker.

The Baptist Student Center was awarded $600.