Student Government convenes and discusses the textbook rental and shuttle systems

On Monday Student Government Association met and discussed textbook rental, shuttle services and tickets for Annie.

SGA met with Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration, Laura Stock, director of business operations and Jan Chisman, the bookstore manager, to discuss the recent textbook rental rumors. According to Mangels, the university is currently going through a process and nothing is official. Potential vendors, such as Barnes and Noble and the University of Missouri bookstore system, put in a request for proposal and were asked many questions. The companies were asked how they would run a bookstore,if they would make special orders for fraternities and sororities, if the departments could purchase large quantities of supplies at good rates and if there were any special rates for students. The companies were also asked about rehiring the current textbook rental and bookstore employees.

"There is no determination if this is happening or that is happening," Mangels said.

There will be open forums where students and faculty can ask the vendors questions about how they can benefit Southeast if they are chosen. The dates for the forums will be decided on and announced by the end of this week. Mangels said they are working on ways to get feedback from students on what students thought of the vendors, such as a survey on the portal.

Also discussed was the When In Need Go Shuttle service to downtown Cape Girardeau. Beth Glaus, the parking services manager, from the Department of Public Safety at Southeast talked to the University Affairs Committee and told them the service wasn't being used and was getting two or three people a weekend, if they picked up anyone at all.

"Right now the shuttle randomly roams looking for people," said Patrick Vining, the SGA President. "The downtown route was originally intended to be a safe ride home for people involved in debauchery downtown."

DPS stopped running the shuttle route in November when the driver of the route was ill, and they believe the service wasn't missed. Some of the members of the senate wanted to continue the service and advertise it more.

"If we had more advertising I think more people would use it," said Chelsea Edwards, a senator for the College of Liberal Arts.

The members of the senate decided to continue not running the WINGS downtown shuttle route for the rest of the semester.

Also, mentioned at the meeting was the upcoming showing of Annie on Feb. 21, which SGA is funding by providing 200 free tickets for Southeast students. They are co-sponsoring the event with the Office of the President.