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All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Students should stop SGA complaints to notice positives

“I don’t see the purpose of SGA.” “SGA is just wasting my money.” “I didn’t even know we had a student government.” These are just a few of the reactions we hear mentioned about the Student Government Association. When I first heard these responses, I was shocked. Most students seem either apathetic about SGA or hold a negative opinion of it.

Chelsea Smith, a freshman English major, said that she really doesn’t know much about SGA.

“Basically, my only involvement with Student Government is when it says ‘SGA Presents…’ on the menu in The Main,” she says.

Smith’s opinion is not unusual. Allison McNaughton, a freshman early childhood education major agrees.

“Pretty much everything I hear about Student Government, I hear from my friends in it,” McNaughton said.

But Jace Thompson, SGA president, said SGA has worked hard for students in the past and is working even harder now. If that’s the case, why do most students fail to notice the things that SGA does?

Ido Farhi, the communications director for the House of Student Representatives, said people don’t hear about all the things Student Government does because they don’t really care about it.

Some students even hold a negative opinion of SGA.

“I haven’t really heard of any of the good things SGA has been doing,” said Sylvia Garcia, a freshman English major, “but I have heard of some of the bad things that it has done.”

Brian Andrew, recruitment and retention director for the House of Student Representatives, said students notice the bad things SGA does more than the good things because unless people complain, things will not get better.

“Once a problem is fixed, people do not need to talk about it anymore,” Andrew said.

SGA maintains that it has done a myriad of things for the student body. This academic year, SGA has found a successful solution to the plus-minus system, secured a pathway for a wireless community, provided a free lawyer to all students and doubled the pass/no credit deadline. Additionally, SGA funded the library’s Frog Pods, the Worth Hills mile markers, a Frisbee golf course as well as numerous Programming Council events.

These are just a few of the things that students wanted, and SGA did them. SGA listens to the voices of students, yet students seem unappreciative.

David Young, a senior entrepreneurial management major, said although students may see the positive things SGA is doing, they don’t focus on them or even realize SGA made them a reality.

SGA treasurer Nate Arnold agrees.

“We just need to be more vocal about the things we are doing, the events we put on, the policies we change and anything else that affects campus,” Arnold said.

SGA works to represent all students’ interests and respond to their requests. It welcomes students’ comments – both positive and negative – at sga.tcu.edu, and encourages students who are interested in learning more about SGA to attend the SGA Grill Fest on April 2.

If students were more aware of SGA and the relentless desire of its members to make TCU a better place, they would realize the effectiveness of SGA and maybe even show some appreciation to those who have helped make TCU what it is today.

Christina Durano is a freshman broadcast journalism major from Albuquerque, N.M.

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