SGB off to slow start

The 2008 Student Government Board tenuously embarked on its term yesterday evening, but the… The 2008 Student Government Board tenuously embarked on its term yesterday evening, but the bliss the new board found in conducting its first meeting may have overshadowed the fact that its members have barely begun their respective projects.

“This is very exciting,” president Sumter Link said. “I’m incredibly excited to get things going with SGB.”

The hullabaloo of the board’s first meeting led to numerous instances of confusion, where veterans Lacee Ecker and Link steered their new peers along the sometimes complicated processes of running an SGB meeting.

Even a task as seemingly simple as activating the SGB tape recorder caused some to wishfully reminisce of the 2007 SGB, whose members were more seasoned.

“Where’s Jimmy?” Ecker jokingly asked as she fiddled with the malfunctioning device. Former board member Jim Priestas frequently fixed the recorder when it stalled during meetings in the past.

The young board consists of four sophomores – Nila Devanath, Amanda Reed, Gary Sanderson and Ryan Very, three juniors – Ecker, Ryan Haddad and Francee Varner, and one senior – Perry Servedio.

Besides Link, Ecker is the only returning board member from last year’s SGB.

Despite its youth, the board has high hopes for itself as it looks forward to the upcoming year. Link made a point of publicly affirming his confidence in his board.

“I think this board has a lot of good ideas, and we are going to work very hard to accomplish all of them,” he said.

While board members are still in the preliminary stages of their projects, Servedio sought out a higher source for motivation to fulfill his goals.

“The day after elections, I had some Chinese food,” Servedio recalled. “My fortune cookie read, ‘If you promise someone something, keep it.'”

With their newfound, edible motivation, board members are optimistic about continuing their transition into office.

Varner will meet with SGB adviser Joyce Giangarlo today to discuss where the board will place the recently unveiled panther statues.

Other board members are also in the early phases of their projects.

“We’re just trying to get rolling,” Very said.

Very, along with Reed, plan to work with the environmental committee to improve recycling on campus.

Reed has also been in contact with the University regarding its new policy of fining students $20 after their third lockout.

Panther Central handles about 700 lockouts a month, Reed said, and they created this new policy to encourage students to remember to bring their IDs with them. After seeing if the impending fines will affect the number of lockouts, Reed hopes to haggle with the University.

“They’re willing to negotiate,” Reed said.

While Link has reviewed the results of the three SGB referendums from this past election, the board has yet to take action, other than confirming that he will be “moving forward with fall break.”

Devanath, who spearheaded the referendum calling for a policy restricting the number of finals a student can have in one day, also said that she will be continuing work on her project.