By Kathryn Agans
Contributing Writer
The Dominican Student Government Association (SGA) is working hard to help students navigate this transitional period between online and in-person learning.
At the same time, SGA is going through its own transition, with new leadership and vacant senator positions, according to SGA President Gaby Corral.
Corral, Vice President Osvaldo Alfaro, and Treasurer Erik Flores, comprise the rest of the executive board, according to the SGA advisor Norah Collins Pienta.
Corral originally applied for a senator position but was offered the role of president during her interview for the senator position.
SGA is still trying to fill senator positions. As of right now, they only have two of the twelve senator positions filled, according to Flores.
SGA held a town hall meeting on Oct. 27 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Springer Suite.
The members of the SGA executive board asked questions submitted by students to a select number of staff and faculty. Topics discussed at the town hall included:
- Academic support for students
- Faculty’s feelings about transitioning to more in person and hybrid learning
- How to find and apply for on campus jobs
- Opportunities and support for undocumented students on campus
- How students can view the shuttle schedule
- Commuter access to dining services and meal plans
Student involvement is very important for SGA events like the town hall and lack of publicity is making it hard for SGA to reach out and connect with students, said Corral.
Corral took on some of the responsibilities of the publicity coordinator position this year to help promote SGA events. It is hard balancing all the responsibility, she said.
However, SGA has a plan to overcome these challenges.
Corral and her collogues are currently interviewing students to fill the vacant positions and promoting more in-person events on campus. They are encouraging students to spread information about SGA events through word of mouth. They are also distributing flyers and posting events on Engage DU in order to promote student involvement in SGA and other campus activities, said Flores.
Even though they are still looking for more student involvement, SGA has some big goals for this school year. This includes having more in person events on campus, helping students to become more aware of environmental issues, supporting undocumented students, and helping students transition back to in person education and events, according to Corral.
The executive board of SGA recognize that coming back to campus can bring up a lot of obstacles for students, both big and small.
“Change can be scary for people,” said Corral. “I know a lot of people were really stressing about parking. It’s a little detail but a lot of people were stressing over it because they have never seen the parking lot so full.”
SGA is also focused on making sure that students know that their voices matter here at Dominican.
“It’s important that students recognize that it’s their voice that matters, how they can get in touch with folks and who the leaders are that they can bring concerns to,” Collins Pienta said. “SGA will help to navigate that.”
