SGB holds fair to rejuvenate interest

At the beginning of every semester, countless students sign up to join groups ranging from the… At the beginning of every semester, countless students sign up to join groups ranging from the ballroom dance club to the billiards club at the annual fall activities fair. Whether motivated by free T-shirts or ambitious plans to become more involved, many forget about the groups once school and parties have gotten under way.

But some of these students might not have missed much this year, especially if they signed up to join a Student Government Board committee.

Although the SGB committee members collected hundreds of names and e-mail addresses of interested students at their tables at last fall’s activities fair, several committees are only now starting to hold meeting and plan activities.

To rejuvenate interest in the committees, SGB held its own activities fair in the William Pitt Union ballroom Thursday.

Gauging by the amount of free cotton candy that was handed out at the activities fair, board member Andrea DeChellis estimated that about 100 people had attended after about three hours.

While the eight members of the SGB must be elected, an unlimited number of students are chosen to be on committees after they fill out applications.

Senior Rachel Brinson filled out an application at last fall’s activities fair, but came back Thursday to reapply.

Brinson said she would like to serve on the community relations or multicultural committees because she has experience in similar groups. She is also the community outreach chair of Black Action Society.

Janella New, an environmental committee member in past years, said her committee collected 400 names at the fall activity fair, but did not hold any meetings because they did not have a chairperson.

“One thing I regret is not doing stuff anyway,” New added.

Multicultural committee member Charis Jones also said her group did not organize because of a lack of leadership.

Jones said elections for committee chairs were not held until November. She attributed the late elections to “drama” within the SGB.

According to DeChellis, a new resolution changed the election cycle. She said in the future, positions voted for in the spring will carry over into the fall.

DeChellis said the multicultural committee sponsored a coffeehouse in the Union last fall, but Jones hopes the committee will do more this semester. Jones said the committee plans this semester to hold both a diversity fair and a food fair featuring food from around the world later this semester.

Governmental relations committee Miranda Kingan added that her group will focus on lobbyist training and plan a trip to the capital in Harrisburg next semester.

Environmental committee member Theresa Strazisar said her committee plans to compensate for the disorganization last semester by planning more events this spring. She said they plan to organize a recycling awareness week this spring, which will include information tabling and a performance by a musical group.

“We’re trying to consolidate a year’s worth of work into a semester,” she explained.