Now that the 2018-19 school year has started at ETSU, the Student Government Association has started to make plans for the new school year. These plans involve more visibility and student involvement.

“So the SGA is the primary voice for students,” SGA President Megha Gupta said. “It’s a way for students to communicate with faculty and staff.”

Gupta said that the SGA has three branches like a regular government, and that they also host major events on campus.

“We have homecoming, the Pride Walk and we also have something called Civility Series,” she said. “It’s like a month of events going on leading up to a final week.”

She said the SGA’s plans for the 2018-19 school year include making the association more visible to the student body.

“We’ve really taken to the idea of being visible on campus, like having a monthly tabling,” Gupta said. “Reaching out to students, promoting our events and letting them know what’s going on on campus. At least in my term, that’s the goal I want to go for.”

She said she hopes to leave a lasting impact about encouraging students to be involved with events on campus.

“I’ve had a lot of impact because of my involvement,” she said.  “And I’ve really grown as a person.”

Gupta said students wishing to get involved with the SGA can do so by applying to be a senator or a justice, or by doing something as simple as volunteering.

“They can volunteer for our concerts or different committees like civility committee or university committee,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be SGA members in those committees; it can be the student body because they represent the students. If students reach out to me, whatever’s happening in that time period I can let them know.”

She encourages students to get involved with the SGA, because the association is how the students voices are heard.

“Students don’t realize it’s a big campus,” Gupta said. “It’s a big campus and they need to be involved. If we don’t have that communication, how do we know what they want?”

The SGA office is located in the SORC, Basler CPA, second floor. You can contact Gupta at sgapres@etsu.edu.

The SGA meets weekly on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in Sam Wilson Hall, Room 302, starting Sept. 4.

To see what the SGA has planned for the 2018-19 school year, follow them on Instagram at @sga_etsu, Facebook at ETSU Student Government Association and Twitter at @SGA_ETSU.