Student Government Association President Pooja Shah said the Civility Month Committee has tentatively booked Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, to come and speak at ETSU during Civility Month.

“We’re just raising money and looking for sponsors,” Shah said. “It’s a really big name event, it’s going to bring a lot of community members and interest from students and faculty.”

Shah also informed the SGA Senate of plans to host a table in the Cave on Feb. 22 on the FOCUS Act.

“We’re going to be talking to students about the FOCUS Act amendment and getting the student trustee a vote,”  Shah said. “We’ll be set up there with laptops, papers, helping students to contact their legislatures. I’ll be going up to Nashville next Tuesday to lobby, and I’ll take all the letters up there.”

Shah also said the booth will have fact sheets about the FOCUS Act.

(Photograph by Elizabeth Mathis / East Tennessean)

In addition to lobbying for the FOCUS Act, Vice President Nathan Farnor informed the senate of an additional way they can be involved in their state government.

“There will be a group of students meeting this Friday in the Cave at 1:30 p.m. and going and meeting with their state legislature, Bob Corker’s office, Representative Phil Roe’s office as well as well as Lamar Alexander’s office to ask for their support for the Bridge Act,” Farnor said.

The Bridge Act would ensure that children of undocumented immigrants brought to the country as infants or toddlers who currently are enrolled at a college or university could continue to attend the school they go to.

“I encourage you if you’re interested to come out and bring others,” Farnor said. “It’s open to all.”

SGA also announced that Sodexo is having focus groups on the new food court they are developing on Feb. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Feb. 28 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sodexo will provide free food and ask for insight and students’ opinions on the food services in the upcoming year.

Clarification: An earlier version of this article mentioned that SGA President Pooja Shah had said Bernice King was “temporarily” booked to speak at ETSU. Shah actually meant “tentatively.”