“I didn’t know we had an SGA” is a common response when talking about KSU’s Student Government Association. Why is this, and what does our student government do?
The purpose of a Student Government Association (SGA) is to help drive student and faculty relations to make sure that the concerns and welfare of fellow students are resolved, oversee other registered student organizations and give a voice to the students. The Kennesaw State University SGA’s room is located in the student center above Chick-fil-A; the seemingly abandoned room has become a rising topic among students, raising the question, where are our Student Government representatives, and if we don’t have that concern outlet, who do we go to?
This week, campus interviews revealed that the student body is not aware of anything regarding our student government association. When asked if they were aware that we even had one, most were not, two anonymous students stated they attempted to join in their first two years of Kennesaw and never received anything back. One student said they submitted “multiple applications without returned communication,” so she stopped trying.
Currently, Kennesaw is the academic home to 36,000 students; the SGA Instagram page is sitting at about 2,000 followers, meaning the rest of our student body has little to no contact with them unless they go looking, and sometimes not even then.
The students have questions, comments, and concerns. Our student government officials are supposed to be our voice to reach places we, as the general body, cannot; as the student body feels they are unreachable, then students feel voiceless.
Our student government’s making themselves more reachable and visible throughout the campus would be beneficial to the well-being and peace of mind of our students. Recently we have been seeing more of our student government association on social media, and they even are holding some events throughout the month and are currently in campaigning season to elect new officials.
If you are one of the many students who have concerns or want to see something different in our student government, be a part of the solution and consider joining or following their social media page or attending a few of the events to get more acclimated to the organization.
Our Student Government Association has a vital function representing the student voice, yet its visibility and availability remain matters of concern to students. While recent moves to engage through social media and events are steps in the right direction, more should be done to bridge the student-representative divide.
As the SGA continues to grow, students must also take it upon themselves to make their voices heard, go to events or even join the organization. As a more cohesive and engaging student government, we can make sure that every student has their voice heard and that the SGA is fulfilling its function of advocating for the student body. We work better together.
