State of The Student Body Address - February

>>CP: Hey Missouri State, I’m Christopher Polley your Student Body President. >>KS: And I’m Kristen Sanocki your Student Body Vice President. >>CP: Your Student Government Association has worked to finalize the details of three major projects and continues to move forward with others. Meanwhile, our Directors and Senators are doing a great job at ensuring that your thoughts and concerns are being heard with University administration when it comes to issues regarding printing, wireless internet, and computer labs. We hope that our hard work proves to be beneficial for our student body. >>KS: SGA is happy to bring to you the BearLine Tracking Program. This program will allow students to track Bear Line shuttles during the day via computer and SmartPhones. We think this program will become a small luxury for our students, especially during the winter months. >>CP: We have also finalized details of the Royalty Fee Waiver. A joint project between SGA and the Office of Student Engagement, this waiver will now exempt official student organizations of the eight percent royalty fee charged when using Missouri State logos. We hope that this waiver will encourage more affiliation between student organizations and the University as well as school pride. >>KS: SGA is also extremely happy to announce that the Bookstore has agreed to bring to Missouri State a Textbook Rental Program. During the Fall 2010 semester, the bookstore will offer 10-20 books that may be rented by students. Our Senators dedicated much time to research of this project and remained persistent with the Bookstore to ensure that we could get this program implemented within the coming year which will be financially beneficial to students. >>CP: We are so proud that these projects have come into fruition and that our Senators and Directors are doing work that will truly affect student life. We continue to push for initiatives that positively impact students. We are currently working with Administrators to make sure that student input is included when decisions are made regarding printing, wireless internet, and computer labs. The Student Senate has recommended that a computer lab be created in proximity to our downtown facilities, that the printing quota is increased to at least 750 pages, that we offer colored printing in our open access labs, and further wireless expansion in academic buildings and outdoor locations. >>KS: We’re also moving forward with two major campaign promises: a campus-wide yard sale and membership in the Tree Campus USA Program. Our Research and Development committee plans to host a campus-wide yard sale on May 1st which will allow students of Missouri State to sale their unwanted, practice sustainability instead of throwing items away as well as coordinate with local charities to ensure that unsold items are donated to those in need. Additionally, SGA will donate any profits it makes to Ozarks Greenways in support of sustainability. >>CP: SGA has also formed an ad-hoc committee that will be in charge of researching the requirements to become a member of Tree Campus USA and plan for the University to do so. The committee will work with Ground Services to increase the number of trees on campus. The committee will also organize events to raise awareness of Arbor Day around the community. This program will make our campus more environmentally-friendly and create a more visually pleasant campus. >>KS: Continuing with our dedication to sustainability, SGA is also happy to announce that recycled notebooks are now being offered at the bookstore. Serving as the facilitator between Students for a Sustainable Future and the Bookstore, we negotiated details that resulted in recycled notebooks being sold for $2.99. These notebooks will be an easy and convenient way for students to promote sustainability in their daily lives. We applaud Students for a Sustainable Future and the Bookstore for their commitment to eco-friendly options for students. >>CP: We are glad that our hard work is creating results for the student body, and we know that these projects will provide students with a more enjoyable experience at Missouri State as well as make the University more attractive to prospective students. We promise to continue our hard work and hope that you will continue to provide us your thoughts and opinions. Ultimately, Missouri State can become the University we envision it to be.