ASBSU Tackles Guns on Campus
We had the opportunity to interview a leader from the Associated Students of Boise State University about their current legislative campaign to defeat a bill that would allow concealed weapons on campus.
Please tell us your name and current position in student government. Please also tell us a little bit about who you are: your year, major, etc.
My name is Cassie Sullivan and I am the Vice President of the Associated Students of Boise State University. I plan to graduate this May with a degree in economics and a minor in political science. Upon graduation I will move to Washington, D.C., where I will pursue a career and graduate studies in international development.Read more
How To: Launching a Student Vote Coalition
The 2014 elections may seem far away, but now is the time to start planning.
In most states, the voter registration deadlines are early in the fall semester, so you should lay the groundwork this spring. By doing so, you can hit the ground running when classes start and organize the biggest possible voter registration and get-out-the-vote drive on your campus.
The first big step in planning for election season is to build a campus-wide coalition. Having a broad Student Vote coalition lets you run the biggest possible voter registration drive by bringing together groups with a range of resources.Read more
The FSU Street Team
We interviewed a leader at Florida State University's Student Government Association about their volunteer program, the SGA Street Team.
Please tell us your name and current position in student government. If you’re willing, please also tell us anything else that you think is relevant about who you are: your year, major, past student government experience, etc.
My name is Amy Nicotra and I serve as a senator for the College of Criminology. I am in my second term as a senator and as the chair of the Student Affairs Committee within Senate. I am a second-year student and began my journey in Student Government during the Fall of my first year on campus.
What is the FSU Street Team? What does the team do? How does it function?
The Student Government Association Street Team is a program offered by the Student Affairs Committee of the Student Senate. Any student in good standing at Florida State University may register to become a Street Team member. There is no application or fee required to join. Responsibilities of the Street Team vary from surveying students, representing SGA at various campus events, and gathering data for the purposes of improving the campus.Read more
#HuskiesLobby: UW Students Take On Olympia
The Office of Government Relations at the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) recently organized a lobby day in Olympia. We interviewed two leaders from the OGR to find our more about the event.
Please tell us your name(s) and current position in student government. If you’re willing, please also tell us anything else that you think is relevant about who you are: your year, major, past student government experience, etc.
Lucas Barash-David: I'm the Director of the Office of Government Relations. I'm a senior majoring in Honors English and Political Science.
Kanokbhorn (KK) Saha: I'm the Legislative Programming Coordinator for OGR. I'm a junior studying Political Science and Economics. This is my first year as an employee in student government but during my sophomore year, I've held numerous volunteer positions.
What is the ASUW OGR? What do you do? What are your current priorities?
ASUW OGR is the legislative advocacy branch of the Associated Students at the University of Washington. We represent over 40,000 students at all levels of government including Federal, State, and Municipal. We have a pretty diverse set of issues that we tackle but we always work on increasing state funding to the UW!Read more
#TextbookBroke: Campaign for Affordable Textbooks
Many student governments have joined a growing movement to lower the cost of college textbooks.
At first, this might not seem like a profound issue, but for many students textbooks are the single largest out-of-pocket expense of going to college. The College Board estimates that students spend about $1200 on textbooks and supplies every year, and individual textbooks can cost as much as $200. Even worse, over the past decade, college textbook prices have increased by 82%, which is three times the rate of inflation.
Textbook prices can be a serious barrier for students and families struggling to afford a higher education - but they don't need to cost so much. In the online age, we certainly have the technology to make textbooks more affordable.
U.S. PIRG published a recent report, Fixing the Broken Textbook Market, that details the huge impact textbook prices have on students.Read more
University of Tennessee SGA Campaigns to Protect Student Fees
The UTK SGA is running a campaign to oppose bills in the Tennessee legislature that would restrict the use of student fees. We interviewed one of the SGA's leaders to find out more about the campaign.
Please tell us your name and current position in student government. If you’re willing, please also tell us anything else that you think is relevant about who you are: your year, major, past student government experience, etc.
My name is Rachel Cross and I am the current director of the Government Affairs Committee at the University of Tennessee. I’m a senior double majoring in Political Science and Sociology with a Criminal Justice concentration and I’ve had the pleasure of working with Student Services and Government Affairs for the past three years. Outside of my role there, I’ve also been involved with SGA Student Senate, College Republicans, and multiple political campaigns.
What are the current priorities for the SGA Government Affairs Committee?
We have a lot on our agenda for the remainder of the spring semester – Advocacy Week, a town hall with Chancellor Cheek, another political debate, and of course continuing to fight for the rights of students to keep control of their student fees.Read more