While many University students are enjoying days on the beach and soaking in the summer fun, Student Government will remain on campus in an attempt to better itself for the upcoming semester.
SG experienced its share of highs and lows during the spring semester, including an election fiasco that tarnished its reputation as the school year came to a close.
With this in mind, SG has several major initiatives, including improving transparency and increasing visibility among the student body.
“Our goal is to make Student Government more visible to students,” said Trey Schwartzenburg, chair of SG’s Summer Planning Committee. “We want to let students know that we’re actually doing something that can impact them and improve their student college experience at LSU.”
But Brianna Crabtree, chair of the Temp Governing Document Committee, said many students know little about SG’s work. She said SG is currently working on ways to change students’ perception of the organization as well as how they interact with it.
During SG’s weekly senate meeting, Crabtree discussed several potential solutions, including setting up a table in Free Speech Plaza. She also said students should be able to speak openly with SG if any questions or concerns arrive, as feedback will be a necessary tool for the initiative’s growth.
“We want students to feel that they are a part of Student Government,” Crabtree said. “We’re not here to look all big and bad. We’re here to serve the students.”
Schwartzenburg said another major goal for SG includes rebranding the organization and improving relations with both students and student media. This initiative comprises prepping the media, designing a new logo and making itself more accessible to the general student body.
“Honestly, this past year was rough for Student Government from a [public relations] standpoint and from a general student attitude,” Schwartzenburg said. “Student Government left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths, and this is something that we’re committed to fixing in summer planning.”
During the summer, SG designated two committees to improve the future of the organization. Both the Summer Planning Committee and the Temp Governing Document Committee have separate initiatives on their agendas, and Schwartzenburg said both are meeting throughout the next few months to make these goals into realities.
The Summer Planning Committee is scheduled to brainstorm initiatives for the upcoming school year.
Meanwhile, the Temp Governing Document Committee is in the process of creating a definite constitution, which will prove a basis for all SG’s workings.
“We wanted to make sure that the document has the best interests of the students at heart,” Crabtree said. “We wanted to make a document that could last us for years, and we wouldn’t have to go back and make amendments every year based on how the election went or based on other things.”
This also involves making the document accessible to students online as SG members hope the student body will be able to see the backbone of the organization and read it without being confused.
Crabtree said the constitution is a critical aspect to move forward.
“I want SG to be an organization that students can finally trust and believe in,” she said. “The constitution is the backbone of SG right now … so if we get that right, then it will ensure that the members of SG are actually serving their purpose and doing what they were elected to do.”
