SGA Delivers 5th State of the Association

The Student Government Association (SGA) held its fifth annual State of the Association on November 5. Each class president, as well as  SGA President senior Sam Flood, spoke about what initiatives they are taking on this year. First-year Class President Michael Hogg started off the night.

“The first-year class is totally settled into the Colgate routine,” Hogg said. “It feels like we’ve been here forever.”

According to Hogg, the class council has already accomplished much in the short time they have been on campus. They began by sending an email to the entire first-year class introducing themselves and requesting any ideas students had for activities in the future.

The first-year class council has also helped to organize a Syracuse bus trip and hopes to have a bus trip for first-years to New York City. They also planned a highlighter party for first-years and sophomores that took place in Donovan’s Pub on Saturday, November 9.

Sophomore Class President Adam Basciano spoke about various challenges that his class is facing.

“One of the challenges we faced was physically getting people to sign up,” Basciano said. “A lot of the stuff we are trying to do is really fun and unique, and if more people knew about it, they would come.”

 According to Basciano, he is trying to plan a class-wide game of Assassin for next semester. Other events include a snowball fight, which he hopes will be the largest Colgate has ever seen, and a spring color run.

After Basciano spoke, Class President junior Hugo Torres-Fetsco talked about the junior class’ collaborations with other student organizations to plan events at the Palace Theater. He is in the process of planning a concert on November 15 and hopes to host another ski trip. Torres-Fetsco also addressed the overall importance of cooperation among students.

“My role as a veteran of [the] Class Advisory Council (CAC) is to encourage younger students to keep working together,” Torres-Fesco said.

Senior Class President Dylan Guss followed and addressed the role of the CAC versus the role of class councils.

“CAC is an organization made up of the Presidents and Vice Presidents of each class,” Guss said. “They are also members of class councils.”

Class councils also include a secretary, treasurer and general members. According to Guss, this system encourages members of different classes to work together.

Guss spoke about how they are hoping to plan more alternative programs, including ones that go off-campus. One such trip was a bus to the Cornell-Colgate football game. There is also a trip planned to Cooperstown, as well as a trip to Syracuse.

Guss is focusing on planning events specifically for seniors, especially ones that allow the whole class to participate.

“We had a tailgate where students were able to meet with alums,” Guss said. “Later this week we’re going to have a dinner at La Iguana to increase class unity. The direction of the senior class and the CAC has been tremendous and we’re hoping to continue that in the spring.”

Flood finished the event speaking of several other SGA initiatives.

“It is with great pleasure that I can say every initiative that SGA Vice President [Matt] Haley and I proposed has either happened or is underway,” Flood said. “We have completed 37 initiatives and a dozen bills and resolutions thus far.”

Initiatives include efforts to make Colgate a smoke-free campus, in line with national trends. The SGA is also working to continue the Raider Roar, a campus-wide event in which, on a countdown from President Jeffrey Herbst, participants let out a collective scream.

Flood spoke about ways in which the SGA has addressed complaints about lack of transparency. The SGA now has column in the Maroon-News, as well as a radio show. Additionally, they held their third Fireside chat, which was the most productive one thus far.

Flood hoped to emphasize that the SGA is doing more things and is more successful than ever before.

“Good is an understatement,” Flood said. “I am confident in my belief that the State of the Association is great if not better than ever before.”

First-year senate member Steven Huang enjoyed hearing the presidents speak.

“It’s good to hear the changes that they’ve made at Colgate,” Huang said.  “It’s good for students to come and hear how their lives are being changed by the SGA.”

Contact Holly Mascolo and Stacey Stein at [email protected] or [email protected]