Student Government Associations are often overlooked at universities. At times, that comes from students not recognizing the power they hold as a body. What comes to mind when you ask what SGA has done in previous years? Most would struggle to answer that question. This year’s ETSU SGA, though, has made impact after impact in terms of exerting a true influence on the university and the surrounding community.
In the fall, the ETSU SGA made waves by declaring in a widely publicized 17-5 vote that while Milligan University had a right as a private institution to fire an employee based off their sexual orientation, ETSU students had every right to ask that their money not go to support such an institution, whose values so blatantly oppose our own. While subsequent efforts to enforce this legislation were denied by administrators, the SGA resorted to more tailored legislation in the spring that protects SGA funds (which total over $100,000 annually) from going to such entities. It is notable that months later, Milligan for All, a group of Milligan Alum bent on changing the same aforementioned policy, was launched.
Prohibition in the U.S. ended in 1933. 88 years later, ETSU is still dry. That will be changing, at least at sporting events. Following “Bucs for Beer” campaigns and legislation, limited alcohol sales will begin at ETSU sporting events by 2022, if not sooner per conversations with administration. This has the potential to generate millions of dollars in revenue to help fund scholarships, infrastructure and staff moving forward. It also ensures a safer, more free environment where we can take proper precaution with alcohol instead of forcing students to pre-game themselves into oblivion.
Despite the name “Student Trustee,” administration ultimately selected the position to represent students on the Board of Trustees from 2017-2020. This allowed those who administrative figures saw as counter to their interests to be blocked by an arbitrary and discriminatory process. The SGA changed that through legislation this year and selected Kara Gilliam, who is set to be confirmed later this month, as the first fully democratic student representative to the Board of Trustees.
We have been at the forefront of pushing for answers and defending our players and coaches in their right to exercise free speech and expression toward the pursuit of racial justice in this country. SGA executives also fought for and won an extension of the “grading choice” rule in fall 2020, giving students a chance to maintain their GPAs given pandemic hardships. Student code changes were also initiated that, if approved, will add “Bias-Induced Crimes” as a punishable offense in the student code of conduct, as well as decriminalize marijuana, prosecuting it as a much lesser offense than the other university violation of “drugs,” which includes heroin and methamphetamine.
As the outgoing SGA Vice-President, I could not be more thankful to our senators, our justices, cabinet members and all of the students who gave us their support. Last year, we promised to build the strongest SGA the school had ever known. I cannot be the judge of if we accomplished that, but I can leave knowing that we have done everything in our power to make this institution a better place.
Submitted by Seth Manning, ETSU Master of Public Health student, 2020-2021 SGA Vice President
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