Student Government Association Blog

Your Student Body. Your Student Voice. SGA.

Elections Commission Seeks Student Commissioners

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Missouri State University’s Elections Commission is currently seeking student commissioners interested in working with elections on campus. The Elections Commission plays an important role on campus, as it is the oversight for student body elections each spring.

The Elections Commission spends the fall semester reviewing the Elections Manual, determining a timeline for elections, and researching ways to increase voter turnout.

During the spring semester the Commission reviews petitions for candidacy, evaluates possible violations of the Elections Manual, and validates election results. The Commission also works with the Wyrick Commission to determine the way in which Wyrick Proposals are phrased on the ballot.

Student commissioners cannot currently be a part of Student Government Association or serving as the President or Vice President for any other student organization.

Anyone interested in joining the Elections Commission is encouraged to contact Tara Hammer, Chief Elections Commissioner, at Hammer636@live.missouristate.edu prior to October 7, 2011.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

Campus Garden Experiences Successful First Season

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In a move to promote local produce and sustainability, dedicated green space at Missouri State University was set aside to be used as a campus garden beginning last spring. The garden experienced a great deal of success in its first season, with moderate crop growth and several local vendors eager to purchase locally grown produce.

Produce from the garden is currently sold to Down to Earth Foods, Homegrown Foods, and both Mama Jean’s locations. The garden is also hoping to soon see produce from the garden incorporated into the menu at Carrie’s Restaurant, the student-operated restaurant inside the Professional Building.

To date, produce sales have yielded enough money to cover the expenses related to purchasing seeds and compost in the spring of 2011. The garden hopes to one day be entirely self-sufficient, and plans to treat the funding they have received thus far as a small business loan which will be repaid.

The garden lies adjacent to the commuter parking lot on Grand Street and is funded through Student Government Association’s Sustainability Commission. The campus garden sponsors biweekly events, and anyone interested in volunteering or learning more is encouraged to join the group’s Facebook group “MO State Campus Garden.”

Wyrick Commission Seeking Students

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Missouri State’s Wyrick Commission is looking for student commissioners for the 2011-2012 academic year. The Wyrick Commission’s purpose is to fund projects that have the potential to enhance the quality of life on campus and improve the University community.

Student members of the Wyrick Commission will be involved in the research and approval or rejection of projects that are submitted to the Commission. Projects submitted to the Commission come directly from students, giving commissioners a great opportunity to connect more with the student body and learn about student opinion on campus. Previous Wyrick projects include the Bear Park South Parking Counters and the projector system in the PSU Theater.

In order to be a member of the Wyrick Commission, students must be enrolled full-time at Missouri State University and able to attend monthly meetings.

For more information on this opportunity, please contact sga@missouristate.edu.

Bike Rental Program Takes Off at MSU

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After several years of planning, a program allowing students to rent bicycles has taken off at Missouri State University. The Green Bike Program, developed by the Residence Hall Association and funded partially by Student Government Association’s Sustainability Commission, was officially launched at Missouri State University in the spring of 2011. The program allows students living on campus to rent bikes for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase a bike.

The program encourages students to reduce their carbon footprint by offering an environmentally friendly way to travel to off-campus destinations, such as nearby groceries stores or downtown attractions. The program also hopes to soon become self-sufficient, using the funds from bike rentals to cover the expenses related to upkeep and maintenance.

The Green Bike Program fleet currently consists of 31 bikes, with an average cost per bike of ten to fifteen dollars each semester. Bike rentals for the fall 2011 semester are currently slated to take place September 14th and 15th, from 9 am to 5 pm on the Bear Paw. While bikes are currently only offered to students living on-campus, the program hopes to have nearly 70 bikes next semester and go campus-wide in the spring of 2012.

Three SGA Commissions Seeking Members

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Three Student Government Association Commissions are still seeking members for this year. Please see the information below and contact sga@missouristate.edu for more information regarding these positions. Serving on a commission is a great way to get involved on campus, and freshmen are more than welcome to apply!

Elections Commission: needs four commissioners and are needed by October 1st.
Sustainability Commission: needs four commissioners and are needed by September 15th.
Wyrick Commision: needs four commissioners and are needed by September 14th.


Again, if interested please contact sga@missouristate.edu.