‘Giving students a voice’

With a brand new set of officers leading Campbellsville University’s Student Government Association (SGA), the group has hit the ground running this semester and is ready for a year focused on amplifying student voices.

SGA is a student led club that serves as the voice of Campbellsville University’s student body, acting as a bridge between students and administration. SGA provides a platform for concerns, new ideas and feedback to be heard at higher levels on campus.

Led by President Gabriel Maurer, Vice President Ka’ Niya Douglas, Treasurer Zachary Phelps, and other elected officers, the group is determined to advocate for students’ needs and continue traditions that bring the campus together while also improving them.

“SGA is a group of students dedicated to making sure every voice on campus is heard and matters,” Maurer said.

SGA’s work extends beyond meetings. Each year they kick-off with SGA week, designed to spread awareness about what SGA is and engage the student body. The organization also coordinates memorable events such as Homecoming, the Valentine’s Day Pageant, which is in its 83rd year, and Spring Formal. Alongside these major events, SGA also hosts events like stress busters, smaller dances and senate meetings where students can bring forward issues or ideas.

“If they have a personal issue or campus issue, they can put it in the suggestion box, and we can go to the board,” Maurer said. “Use us, give us things to do, and we will try to get it done.”

Senate meetings consist of students who apply for representation of a class, and leaders of clubs that come and discuss issues within their club and campus with senate members.

SGA organizes Homecoming each year, including queen and newly added king elections, and schedules the parade floats for the elected royalty. The group also orchestrates the half-time presentation of the representatives and newly crowned king and queen.

The SGA team coordinates all aspects of campus dances. Once the event is approved by the board, they carefully decide what direction to take with their budget, from catering to DJs to event decorations – they manage it all.

For the Valentine’s Day Pageant, SGA is charged with organizing every last detail. They will contact members of the community and university with judging experience to utilize during the pageant. The members of SGA will then coordinate interviews with contestants and judges, decorate the venue, commentate during the event and hand out the awards.

Behind the scenes, SGA meets often to discuss student issues and problem solve.

“Even if there’s nothing crazy going on we’re still meeting to discuss how we could be beneficial for the students,” Phelps said. “Weeks before big dances or Homecoming week, we will meet every week. That’s something that a lot of people may not know, just how often we meet just to discuss small things, too.”

The heart of SGA’s mission is making the students feel heard. To be the students’ voice.

“We have the opportunity to go to the board and the president,” Maurer said. “We want to give a voice to students and amplify that voice.”

Douglas said she hopes students will come to them with opinions and concerns.

“Some students don’t feel comfortable talking to a professor, but they might feel more comfortable talking to us,” she said.

SGA recently went through the process of electing all new officers. Each officer found their way to SGA in unique ways. Phelps credited Dr. Michelle Carter, SGA’s adviser, for encouraging him to participate in the club.

 “She pulled me aside one day and told me she thought I’d be a good fit for SGA because I’m known on campus and very outgoing, so I can connect with students well,” he said.

Douglas, who previously served as president of the Black Student Association (BSA), saw SGA as an opportunity to branch out to other organizations on campus.

“I wanted to give my thoughts on what I see, because different points of view are good,” she said.

For Maurer, it started as a resume builder, but it soon grew into something more.

“This is my third year being a part of SGA and I originally got involved to add to my resume,” he said. “But I ran for president this past year and thought it would be the next step in leadership since I’d be the only returning member of student government.”

Despite their passion, SGA can face several unique challenges. Working within a limited budget can make planning events complicated, and big events like Homecoming, the Valentine’s Day Pageant, and Spring Formal requires strict budgeting and strong organization skills. Many students are unaware of the organization’s existence or its purpose, and while most want their voices to be heard, they don’t know of any outlet to express themselves. According to the officers, one of the biggest challenges ahead will be boosting student engagement.

“Finding a way to get students involved on campus is the hardest thing,” Phelps said. “Typically, if you throw out a chapel credit, it gets people involved, but you can’t do that with everything.”

This year marked the first student elections for SGA roles in several years. While every officer ran unopposed, the organization hopes to see increased participation next year, both in candidates running for office as well as student voting. For Maurer, student elections are another cause for concern.

“A very new challenge that will be difficult to raise awareness about is elections,” Maurer said. “You can ask someone to vote and they will forget. It’s something we’re going to have to really drive into people to get involved in elections.”

Despite these challenges, all three officers agreed on SGA’s top priority: Advocacy.

“I know before I was in SGA I complained all the time like all the other students and I didn’t know about the suggestion box,” Douglas said. “I want students to know about it and come to us if they have any problems or any ideas about events.”

The suggestion box can be found upstairs in the Flanagan Technology Training Center outside the SGA office. Students can fill out a slip with their comments or concerns and drop it directly into the box. For those who prefer to reach out directly, President Gabriel Maurer can be contacted at (937) 763-2973, and SGA’s adviser Dr. Michelle Carter is available via email at [email protected].

With a new team and new perspectives, SGA is committed to making the most of their roles. Whether through large campus traditions, or daily student advocacy, they hope students will see SGA as a community where their voice matters and will be heard.

“Any specific issue, no matter how big or small it is, we’d love to help any student in anyway,” Maurer said. “We want Campbellsville University to be as good of a university as SGA thinks it is.”