President Robert Vela cites the oath for the officers to say in the Fiesta Room for the Student Government inauguration Thursday. The officers were financial services sophomore Christopher Scoggins as treasurer, art sophomore Federico Gonzalez-Vidal as secretary, pre-pharmacy sophomore Quintin Longoria as vice president, psychology sophomore Brett Douglas as historian, psychology sophomore Harley Williams as president and accounting sophomore Jenna keeton as commissioner of public relations. All officers have their position for the whole school year. After spring break, Mark Bigelow, interim director of student life puts information out for students to apply for SGA positions on orgsync. Photo by Aly Miranda
Student government president discusses plans for the year.
By Kyle R. Cotton
kcotton11@student.alamo.edu
Each year this college’s student body elects representatives to their Student Government Association to represent their interests at this college. SGA’s newly elected officers were sworn in Thursday in a ceremony attended by family, friends and President Robert Vela and his executive team.
Psychology sophomore Harley Williams was sworn in as president; pre-medicine sophomore Quintin Longoria, vice president; art sophomore Frederico Gonzalez-Vidal, secretary; financial services sophomore Christopher Scoggins, treasurer; psychology sophomore Brett Douglas, historian; accounting sophomore Jenna Keeton, commissioner of public relations; psychology sophomore Aurelio Alcocer, parliamentarian; and English sophomore Rosalva “Rori” Gonzalez, commissioner of student services.
Vela told the new officers, “You guys are the voice of the other students that say, ‘Have you considered this issue? Can you take it forward? Can you champion this,’ and we want to listen and figure out a way to make it happen, because at the end of the day this is your college and you’re the leaders.”
At the ceremony Williams detailed the organization’s plans for this semester in an interview with The Ranger.
“One, we want to increase our visibility because that’s always important, no matter who you are, especially because we say we are here for the students so we want them to know about us,” Williams said. “Another thing we want to do is a lot of forums. Campus carry is going to be coming soon; we can’t do anything about the law, the law’s not going to be changed, but we want to inform students so that we know what’s going to be affecting them.”
SGA hasn’t decided whether members or an expert will present the topic for each forum, which will most likely be in the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center.
“We can do either or; it’s really what the students want to do,” Williams said. “So maybe we can do a survey before, asking students if they want us to explain it or for someone else to come in. That way it’s easy flow and easy access.”
Currently, SGA is working on a memorial garden to honor anyone in this college’s community who has died. The plan is to put it behind Chance Academic Center by the parking garage.
“Over the summer we’ve been working with Luis Lopez; he’s an artist who did the mural at Scobee and EcoCentro and we really hope to begin that process soon, hopefully this semester if not the year,” Williams said.
The SGA also keeps tabs on the student activity fee.
“District-wide, as student government at student district council we’ve discussed what we might do with the student activity fee and whether it will be increased or not be,” Williams said. “A lot of times, a lot of people are like, ‘Hey we want to do this thing for this cultural event’ — especially St. Philip’s (College), they’re a very cultural campus as well as us — but we can’t really do anything with it because our activity fee is smaller. A lot of students, when you ask them what their student activity fee is, they say they don’t know. So we want to tell them what it is and show them the benefit, then after they see that … they can make an informed decision.”
Williams said the chancellor’s forums from last fall are expected to return as well.
Student government meets noon-1 p.m. the first three Mondays of every month in the craft room of Loftin.
Student government can be found in their office 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday in Room 256 of Loftin.
For more information, call 210-486-0133.
