The Student Government Association (SGA) is the ultimate representative of the student body. It is the umbrella organization for all Chartered Student Organizations (CSOs). Having such demanding representative duties, it is all too crucial for SGA to let its voice be heard on campus, to go out and make sure its constituents (all students) are well-informed about its initiatives.

What is even more important is SGA’s role in absorbing the concerns and proposals of all students and translating them into effective pressure toward the University administrators. Sometimes it is easier to follow the general trend of how the administration deals with issues and to adjust SGA’s plans to those the University is already foreseeing, transforming SGA in a mere spectator. It is important to point out that there is a fine line between what a senator is deciding out of his or her personal opinion and what comes from pursuing the best for everybody.

The SGA Senate must keep in contact with its constituents. Simple things like holding weekly round tables or placing a suggestions box in every residence hall and college could help.

Senators also have access to the email list of their entire constituency, which they can use to very easily establish a two-way communication channel. For example, this allows the Flats senator to send emails out to all students living at the Flats.

Speaking of which, the executive board of SGA will have to start working hard from the first day to keep up with their electoral commitments.

A week before classes start, the SGA website and Twitter account are completely empty of content. This is not a good sign if we remember their claims for SGA transparency and senate’s accountability. An updated website with structured content and good advertisement would give credibility to SGA, while a Twitter account where all senators could post meeting times and events and propose ideas would help to engage students more effectively.

Maybe the problem is that the SGA elections always sneak out of the blue. Nobody really knows how or when they happen, but suddenly the campus explodes and candidates start appearing everywhere. Even senators find themselves completely lost in the process, oblivious of such an important event, its mechanisms, dates and procedures.

Elections born inside SGA and led by SGA veterans is not necessarily the secret formula of success. All students should have equal chance of running for the executive board, if they feel they have the experience. To keep elections so hermetic will most likely hurt SGA not only from an administrative perspective but also towards] all those students who are expecting SGA to be their representative body.

Keeping open as many communication mediums as possible at an administrative level also gives a strong image to SGA. Although senators have several tools to get in touch with students, information coming “from above” presents a unified front. This is something that can be extremely beneficial for SGA to reinforce their integrity as a group, as opposed to students with personal agendas and an executive board rushing through the year. Not to mention senators should communicate their particular affairs with those whom they represent, while upper-level communications should be more of an informational resource for anybody on campus who wants to know what SGA is working on, like the reforms for the Pius XII Memorial Library or the future of the Bauman–Eberhardt Center.

What does SGA really stand for? It has the potential to become the greatest student organization on campus and to gather thousands of students with a single call. In order to achieve this, however, it will have to prove that its priority is the students, not the administrators.

When the administration sees SGA truly backed by the students, then SGA will hold the power to really negotiate and push forward student initiatives. Fluid and continuous communication with all students through committed senators who are not afraid to listen or to be heard, making sure that all students feel and see their contribution to SGA could prove to be the most successful strategy for SGA in recent years.

Federico Garcia Lorca is a senior in the Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.