The Student Government Association (SGA) swore in new members and sanctioned three new organizations during its general assembly meeting on Wednesday Feb.3.
The College welcomed the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), an outreach organization focused on individuals in the community with developmental disabilities, Pi Sigma Epsilon, a business fraternity primarily concerned with sales and marketing, and the Interfaith Council, a club intended to foster discussion between students of different religious preferences.
CEC and Pi Sigma Epsilon passed unanimously without issue. Members of SGA praised both organizations for bringing new elements to hackneyed arenas. CEC intends to run like a no-strings-attached Best Buddies program, in which students establish relations with disabled members of the community without a weekly time commitment. SGA initially feared Pi Sigma Epsilon would overlap Delta Sigma Pi, which offers members the chance to compete in business competitions in the fields of sales and marketing.
they were pleased with the outcome of SGA’s vote.
Interfaith Council passed by a majority vote. Some dissent arose from concern the club was designed to deal with issues already within the jurisdiction of other religious organizations on campus.
“I would like to stress that we are not a religious group,” said Amtul Mansoor, sophomore biology major, during her organization’s opportunity to address the assembly. “We are more of a forum, to discuss issues pertinent to all religions.”
Interfaith Council hopes to take trips to different sites of worship and hold symposiums, including the flagship event they hope to present within the coming weeks.
“I’m glad they passed this club,” said Kyle Tomalin, freshman English major who helped present the club’s mission to SGA. “I think its right in league with what the college has been going for in its liberal learning program, and it’s great to see that manifest as a club.”
Other chief business included inaugurating new senators and class council members to SGA and reflecting upon the success of the College’s recent “Here for Haiti” event, in which SGA played a major role.
“I was tremendously encouraged by the SGA’s support of this program,” executive president Billy Plastine said. “A huge thank you from me to all of you.”
