SGA funds ‘Day of Action’ to engage students with legislation

Nicole Ziege

The Student Government Association approved the funding of $100 for “DACA Day of Action” at its meeting Tuesday night.

Bowling Green junior Francisco Serrano and SGA President Andi Dahmer coauthored Bill 21-17-F, which stated, “DACA has been rescinded as of Sept. 5, 2017, and a permanent solution for our current/past WKU students is necessary.”

The event will be hosted by the Hilltopper Organization of Latin American Students, or HOLAS, in combination with the Center for Citizenship and Social Justice, and it will “help students become engaged in letter writing to legislators for the passage of a ‘clean DREAM act,’” according to the bill.

The funding will be used for paper, food, pens, pencils, drinks and posters, according to the bill. Dahmer said the event will last all day.

“Everyone that is on this bill has been reached out to and we’re waiting on, basically, which day works best for people,” Serrano said about the date of the event.

Serrano said he hopes the event will take place before Thanksgiving.

The bill was unanimously approved.

The SGA passed two other bills at its meeting and appointed a new senator, WKU freshman Nathaniel Hoey.

“Something that really stood out in his application to me was his commitment to defend and represent minority students on this campus and a need for integration with Greek organizations and diversity and inclusion within those and across campus,” Dahmer said.

Hoey is a biology and pre-medicine major at WKU. He is also a member of the Mahurin Honors College and Sigma Phi Epsilon, according to Dahmer.

“I really want to join SGA because I really think that, at Western especially, there is still potential for students to really have the best possible academic experience and college experience,” Hoey said.

Hoey said that he feels that with diversity comes “a lot of great ideas” that “a lot of people might not necessarily have heard before.”

“I really want to make sure that those voices get represented,” Hoey said.

Hoey’s nomination was unanimously approved.

The Senate also presented Bill 20-17-F, which approved the funding of $200 for “Hidden Hacks on the Hill” to be held on Nov. 14 in DSU Nite Class.

Organizations and departments such as Student Support Services, the Counseling and Testing Center, and the WKU Food Pantry will have booths at the event, according to Bill 20-17-F.

The funding will be used for fliers and refreshments at the event, according to the bill.

“This event is specifically for minority and underrepresented students on campus just to find a place and learn about resources on campus,” Corey Newsome, Committee for Diversity and Inclusion vice president and co-author of the bill, said.

The bill was unanimously approved.

The Senate brought forth Bill 23-17-F, which approved the funding of over $2,900 from the Organizational Aid budget for the Black Leadership and Academic Conference, Beta Gamma Omega International Fraternity, Club Tennis, Phi Alpha Theta, Vietnamese Student Association and Black Graduate Student Association.

The Black Leadership and Academic Conference will receive $500 to “fund a guest speaker at the conference.” The Beta Gamma Omega International Fraternity will receive $500 to “assist in funding their national chapterization fee.” The Club Tennis will receive $500 to “pay for tennis balls and invitational fees.”

Phi Alpha Theta will receive $455 in funding for promotional materials, graduation cords and to “rent a volleyball court and baseball field.” The Vietnamese Student Association will receive $500 to “help fund the Lunar New Year Celebration.” The Black Graduate Student Association will receive $500 for “several events to develop professional skills,” according to Bill 23-17-F.

The bill passed unanimously.

Reporter Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected].