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SGA leaders prepare for the year's work

Web site, tuition discussions on new administration's priority list

by Geronimo Rodriguez
Senior Staff Writer

Student Government Association President Jon Quintanilla branded the first meeting of the 41st SGA administration with the reminder that, whether it is old or new, the Senate's business always leads back to the students.
"Let's make sure that we're here for one purpose, make sure we're here for the students' purpose," Quintanilla said during the Senate meeting Wednesday in the University Center Underground's Mediterranean Room. "Let's pay attention to the cracks in the sidewalk, but let's also pay attention to the bigger issues like the parking garage.

"If you continue on, great, but make sure you give your best this year," he said before swearing in the 25 senators who attended the meeting. Four senators elected during last month's SGA general election were not present.

Although old and new business was scarce, members of the Executive Board dished out a number of ideas, hoping the Senate will follow their lead.

Quintanilla rescinded the University Hearing Board nominees former SGA President Dawona Miller announced March 10. He said the new nominees will be announced during the next Senate meeting Wednesday. The time and place for that meeting have not been announced.

Quintanilla also said he will revive the SGA Web site, which has been offline for at least a year, by May 1. The project will be headed by the Senate's director of public relations, he said, but the director of finance and public relations positions have yet to be filled through an application process.

With regard to the coming tuition and fee increases, Quintanilla said he will sit on a panel with state Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) to discuss deregulated tuition at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Collins Elementary School, 9829 Town Park Drive in west Houston.

"With the tuition increase in, you should start to see things come to fruition, the ones the administration said we'd see," Quintanilla said. "Let's make sure those increases are justified."

Speaker of the Senate David Burkley said he will form the four Senate committees ? Academic Affairs, Internal Affairs, Student Life and University Administration and Finance ? by the next meeting. During his report, Burkley also urged the senators to hold public "town hall" meetings on a consistent basis.

In other business, SGA Vice President Matt Bell said he is interested in revising the "outdated" SGA Constitution.
 

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