Colgate’s Student Government Association (SGA) met again this week for an executive board meeting on Sunday, September 13. The group discussed both new and old initiatives that they are planning to work on this semester and in the semesters to come.

One of the initiatives that members of the SGA are working on includes the implementation of a steering committee, which will be made up of students from different areas of campus. The plan is for students in this steering committee to work closely with members of the faculty and administration to focus on topics pertaining to campus climate at Colgate. They hope to address the administration’s progress on the “Colgate for All” initiative, which was created after the peaceful sit-in at the Hurwitz Admission Center in the fall of 2014 protesting Colgate’s campus climate. SGA President Kegan Thompson, Vice President David Kim and Senior Executive Advisors Charity Whyte and Jessie Sullivan – all seniors – are working to put this plan into effect.

Another significant initiative that is currently being planned is the inclusion dinner for first-years, which will likely occur in the beginning of November. In the past, the dinner has served as a way for students to ask upperclassmen about living opportunities for their next few years at Colgate, focusing on Greek life and interest housing. This year, the SGA hopes to focus more on the concept of “social spaces” and what the options for the future of these underclassmen are. The SGA hopes that the dinner will function as a way for seniors to share their experiences with younger students. Student Life Policy Director senior Hunter Hillman and other executive board members are working to set this dinner up.

This week, the SGA started its WRCU radio show called “The SGA Segment,” with guests Kim and Whyte. The two discussed their roles on the executive board and the initiatives that they are planning to work on this semester. They both also talked about the importance of transparency on campus. “The SGA Segment” will air every Tuesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and will be one way in which students and other members of the Colgate community can learn about the different students involved in the SGA and the initiatives that are being implemented on campus.

Student Senate elections were also held this week, and new representatives for the Class of 2019 were announced on Monday, September 14. SGA Elections Commissioners sophomores Alison Sheehan and Sage Krombolz were in charge of facilitating the elections.

On the evening of Tuesday, September 15, members of the Senate held their first meeting of the semester to discuss upcoming projects and to welcome new members of the Senate from the Class of 2019. Any members of the Colgate community who are interested in learning more about how the Senate functions and what the SGA does are encouraged to come to Senate meetings on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. in Persson Auditorium.

This weekend is Homecoming and the SGA encourages all students to attend the various events that are occurring, including ’GateStock, a Pep Rally and the Raider Cup, which is a competition among students based on school spirit activities. The SGA will also be hosting tents for the Classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019 at the football game this weekend and hope that all students can be involved in the weekend’s festivities.

“This Homecoming weekend is going to be very fun, with packed events – the Homecoming Committee has prepared a lot of fun activities such as Raider Cup, Giants of Science and Tailgate Tents. So please come down to these events and help support Colgate athletics,” Kim said.