These are my official final thoughts about SGA. If you would like to hear my unofficial final thoughts about Samford, about college, and about life, come find me on a back porch late at night somewhere.
When I first started my term as SGA President, I somehow thought I was going to revolutionize the organization. We had a top-notch executive board lined up, a restructured office of student affairs, and a phenomenal new SGA advisor (Janna Pennington). Needless to say, I was excited about our endless potential this year.
What I quickly found, however, was that change does not come easy. Our initial fervent energy soon receded, and before we knew it we were falling back into old routines and getting swamped by school. SGA has not revolutionized the lives of Samford students this year. But it has made some tangible improvements.
Perhaps the most unseen of these improvements is the fact that SGA has almost completely restructured itself this year. The Student Activities Council and the Presidential Advisory Council look completely different, and we have even taken the first step in re-writing our own Constitution and Code of Laws. To the average student, however, I am sure this is about as exciting as watching stalagmites form.
So what are some things that SGA has done that the average student might actually care about? Well for one, we have planned some really good events. I would daresay that anyone who has given Harry’s a shot any Thursday night this year has been very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the performers featured there. And the only measure we need that the upcoming Avett Brothers is a raging success is that it is the only student event (besides Step Sing) in recent memory to completely sell out the Wright Center.
We have also done our best to demonstrate a collective student voice to administration. Although many students probably do not realize it, SGA has communicated concerns about everything from meal plan pricing to unfairness in the Samford judicial system to the appropriate administrators this year. But communication is an ongoing process, and as I stated earlier, change does not come easy. Trying to get major policies changed at Samford is like trying to teach a dog to juggle… it might not be impossible, but it takes a long time.
Well, this is the end of another year. College is an interesting place, it stands eternally still as students pass through it like water. In just a few short weeks we will be finishing up projects, getting ready for finals, and saying goodbye to another class of Samford students and student leaders. That includes me. I have made some really dumb decisions during my time at Samford, but choosing to lead SGA this year was not one of them.
I wish you all nothing but the best as you carry on in this exciting and bizarre time of life.
Sam
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Blog
As all the faithful followers of this blog (aka my parents and maybe Janna) have probably noticed by now, the SGA blog has been a bit of a failure this semester. The blame rests on no shoulders but my own. In the world of ever-expanding technology and increasingly condensed information, the art of sitting down and typing out extended posts has been overtaken by the allure of "140 characters or less". But it was worth a shot. Hopefully one day this site will be revitalized by a SGA President with more time or motivation than I. In the meantime, I encourage seekers of SGA knowledge to check out our website (www.samford.edu/sga), for students to join orgsync, and for everyone to follow our twitter account (www.twitter.com/samfordsga) for updates. I do, however, plan to post one epic "final thoughts" article on this blog before my term is done.
All the best,
Sam
All the best,
Sam
Monday, January 24, 2011
Welcome Back... again.
Spring semester 2011 is officially underway! I hope that everyone has had a restful and enlightening break whether at Samford, at home, or abroad. Now it's back to business as usual, hopefully everyone is ready to begin and finish the year off strong. It is comforting to see Samford alive and thriving once again.
And if you couldn't already tell, it's Step Sing season. Yes, that magical time of the year when people can be caught humming the same songs repeatedly, no one ever seems to have any free time, and there are long lines across campus at random times of the day. Many thanks to Grant Millsaps and our Step Sing Directors (Erin and Bri) for their hard work to get us ready for these 3 weeks.
To answer the most pressing concern that I am sure is on everyone's mind as they start back: What is SGA going to do this semester? Well to answer that question would be kind of like trying to predict how many points Kobe Bryant is going to score in a given basketball game... you can never be exactly certain, but you know that it's going to be a lot more than anybody else. I'll just leave it at that for the time being. A few hints to look forward to in the next semester are the SGA survey, a new constitution / code of laws, elections, a fight against exorbitant Samford costs, a huge spring concert, and lots of free stuff. But let's be honest, Step Sing is going to dominate everyone's lives for a while.
Spring break is coming,
Sam
And if you couldn't already tell, it's Step Sing season. Yes, that magical time of the year when people can be caught humming the same songs repeatedly, no one ever seems to have any free time, and there are long lines across campus at random times of the day. Many thanks to Grant Millsaps and our Step Sing Directors (Erin and Bri) for their hard work to get us ready for these 3 weeks.
To answer the most pressing concern that I am sure is on everyone's mind as they start back: What is SGA going to do this semester? Well to answer that question would be kind of like trying to predict how many points Kobe Bryant is going to score in a given basketball game... you can never be exactly certain, but you know that it's going to be a lot more than anybody else. I'll just leave it at that for the time being. A few hints to look forward to in the next semester are the SGA survey, a new constitution / code of laws, elections, a fight against exorbitant Samford costs, a huge spring concert, and lots of free stuff. But let's be honest, Step Sing is going to dominate everyone's lives for a while.
Spring break is coming,
Sam
Monday, November 29, 2010
Christmas
I won't say that I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted on this blog, since I said that last month. I can't believe it has been over six weeks since I last posted on this blog. Oh well. It's almost Christmas, the season of love and forgiveness, so please cut me some slack.
A lot has transpired over the past six weeks, including a plethora of Samford events and football games. We've seen homecoming come and go in flying colors and have completely ushered in a thriving class of Samford students. We've seen Harry's coffee house both rock out and chill out, and we have christened an entirely redesigned Student Activities Council. We've even seen a group of freshmen SGAers do a synchronized dance in the cafeteria. But this post isn't about the past, it's about the future.
And the future holds Christmas! Yes, that most wonderful time of the year is upon us. No better place to be than to be around Samford at Christmas time. This coming Thursday will hold the first major events of the Samford Christmas season: Hanging of the Green and Lighting of the Way. Meet us in Reid Chapel at 6 p.m. Thursday for the always special Hanging of the Green service, at which we will both worship Christ and decorate for the celebration of His birth. Then at 7 we will meet at Centennial Walk for another special tradition: Lighting of the Way. This year promises to be even more spectacular than in years past. The entire quad will be lit by luminaries, the Christmas story will be read, carols will be sung, and joy will be to the world of Samford. Immediately following the end of the festivities at Centennial Walk everyone is invited to meet in Ben Brown plaza to hear Christmas music provided by Mockingbird Sun. The entire night is going to be one that you don't want to miss.
Then, next Tuesday (the 7th) in Harry's coffeehouse we will celebrate the work of all those involved in SGA this year with our annual joint session. All the branches of SGA will meet there together for food, fellowship, and frivolity. Door prizes and tacky sweaters promise to be present in abundance. More details to follow.
To all of you strolling the walkways of Samford over these last few weeks of the semester, I challenge you to take advantage of the time that you have remaining. Of course we all procrastinated on our papers and projects; you're not the only one facing some daunting tasks. But I challenge you to not just get through these next few weeks, but to truly appreciate them. Finals (and projects and papers) will come and go, but you may never forget this Christmas season that you are given here. This time is made special because of the people we share it with. Don't take it for granted. I wish you nothing but love and happiness over the coming weeks.
All the best,
Sam
A lot has transpired over the past six weeks, including a plethora of Samford events and football games. We've seen homecoming come and go in flying colors and have completely ushered in a thriving class of Samford students. We've seen Harry's coffee house both rock out and chill out, and we have christened an entirely redesigned Student Activities Council. We've even seen a group of freshmen SGAers do a synchronized dance in the cafeteria. But this post isn't about the past, it's about the future.
And the future holds Christmas! Yes, that most wonderful time of the year is upon us. No better place to be than to be around Samford at Christmas time. This coming Thursday will hold the first major events of the Samford Christmas season: Hanging of the Green and Lighting of the Way. Meet us in Reid Chapel at 6 p.m. Thursday for the always special Hanging of the Green service, at which we will both worship Christ and decorate for the celebration of His birth. Then at 7 we will meet at Centennial Walk for another special tradition: Lighting of the Way. This year promises to be even more spectacular than in years past. The entire quad will be lit by luminaries, the Christmas story will be read, carols will be sung, and joy will be to the world of Samford. Immediately following the end of the festivities at Centennial Walk everyone is invited to meet in Ben Brown plaza to hear Christmas music provided by Mockingbird Sun. The entire night is going to be one that you don't want to miss.
Then, next Tuesday (the 7th) in Harry's coffeehouse we will celebrate the work of all those involved in SGA this year with our annual joint session. All the branches of SGA will meet there together for food, fellowship, and frivolity. Door prizes and tacky sweaters promise to be present in abundance. More details to follow.
To all of you strolling the walkways of Samford over these last few weeks of the semester, I challenge you to take advantage of the time that you have remaining. Of course we all procrastinated on our papers and projects; you're not the only one facing some daunting tasks. But I challenge you to not just get through these next few weeks, but to truly appreciate them. Finals (and projects and papers) will come and go, but you may never forget this Christmas season that you are given here. This time is made special because of the people we share it with. Don't take it for granted. I wish you nothing but love and happiness over the coming weeks.
All the best,
Sam
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Fall
I can't believe it's been an entire month since we've posted on this blog. Oh well, better late than never.
In the past month, a flurry of activity has occurred on Samford's campus. With regards to SGA, we now have our entire leadership spectrum in place. The Freshman Forum, Senate, Student Activities Council, Presidential Advisory Council, Student Judiciary Council, and Class Officers are now filled with bright, motivated leaders. With such a broad support base and the leadership of the executive officers, the only thing containing us is our own imaginations.
From a programming standpoint, we've already had a very successful year with many more events to come. Next in line is the upcoming Miss Samford pageant (Oct. 16), Halloween week activities (Oct. 25-31), and Homecoming Week (Nov. 1-6). We hope to only keep raising the bar with these events, and always welcome student feedback and suggestions.
This is a very short post to encapsulate a very eventful month of activity, but it's all I have at the moment. The key word in SGA is student, and duty calls. I'll leave you with just a few words of encouragement.
Make the most of your time at Samford and leave no regrets. Do something kind for someone who could never repay you. Make friends with people who have few. Laugh at things that are uplifting. Feed your soul before you try to feed others'. I hope that you will find the blessings in life, even when they are hard to find. Be a blessing.
All the best,
Sam
In the past month, a flurry of activity has occurred on Samford's campus. With regards to SGA, we now have our entire leadership spectrum in place. The Freshman Forum, Senate, Student Activities Council, Presidential Advisory Council, Student Judiciary Council, and Class Officers are now filled with bright, motivated leaders. With such a broad support base and the leadership of the executive officers, the only thing containing us is our own imaginations.
From a programming standpoint, we've already had a very successful year with many more events to come. Next in line is the upcoming Miss Samford pageant (Oct. 16), Halloween week activities (Oct. 25-31), and Homecoming Week (Nov. 1-6). We hope to only keep raising the bar with these events, and always welcome student feedback and suggestions.
This is a very short post to encapsulate a very eventful month of activity, but it's all I have at the moment. The key word in SGA is student, and duty calls. I'll leave you with just a few words of encouragement.
Make the most of your time at Samford and leave no regrets. Do something kind for someone who could never repay you. Make friends with people who have few. Laugh at things that are uplifting. Feed your soul before you try to feed others'. I hope that you will find the blessings in life, even when they are hard to find. Be a blessing.
All the best,
Sam
Monday, September 13, 2010
A New Era
A new era of Samford student life has begun. As Dr. Westmoreland said to the freshmen on the first day of Connections, college is a rare time in students' lives when they can hit the reset button and rethink who they are as a person. It is even rarer when a university gets to do the same thing. That is exactly what Samford is doing right now: hitting the reset button and rethinking how to provide a rewarding student life experience. This includes, but is not limited to, Samford's Student Government Association.
If you haven't already noticed, there is new leadership in place around campus. Renie Moss has taken the new Assistant Dean of Students position, Lacey Simpson has taken charge of events, and Janna Pennington is now fostering Student Leadership and Development. These ladies are already doing a phenomenal job.
Beyond administration, though, outstanding student leaders across campus are taking ownership of their organizations. Separate, all these leaders will do a tremendous job within their own organizations. But once they find a way to all work together, then they have the power to bring about change unlike that which has yet been seen at Samford.
Beyond vague optimism, there are tangible changes that are being made this year. Some of these changes are internal to SGA. For example, SGA is rethinking the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC). Instead of allowing it to remain as a faux-Senate with many crippling inefficiencies, they plan on making it a forum to bring student leaders together across campus. With regards to overall communication, SGA is going to keep pushing to find ways to reach students until we find something that works. Both an SGA blog (http://samfordsga.blogspot.com) and a twitter account (www.twitter.com/samfordsga) are in place.
Other SGA changes are much more external. This year's Welcome Back week was the best Samford has had in quite some time. Everything from the concert Sunday night to the plethora of events around campus, to the road trip to FSU just goes to show what SGA is capable of, and indicates great things to come.
All of this is possible due to students' financial generosity. Out of the around $900,000 that students have given to Samford in the form of a student activity fee, over $210,000 is going directly into the SGA budget. The rest will be used to improve and build student facilities around campus (think sand volleyball courts and BBQ pits), and to make larger events become realities.
Regardless of what student leadership gets accomplished this year, it will be for nothing if students do not get on board. Student Government and Student Affairs both have one key word in them: student. This isn't about us, it's about you. So what can students do to help?
Perhaps the most important way one can take part in student life is simply to participate. Come to events, come to concerts, come to meetings, and SGA will do everything in its power to ensure that they will be worthwhile.
Students should also run in the upcoming fall SGA elections, whether it be for a Senator or a class officer. Freshmen have the opportunity to govern their own class by running for class officer or taking part in Freshman Forum.
There is no better way to take ownership of one's school than to take part in SGA. Fall election and Freshman Forum sign-ups are in the SGA office and will officially end this coming Friday, Sept. 10.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, students can help by simply being honest. Be honest with SGA and be honest with yourself about how you feel about Samford and Samford life. SGA wants to hear your opinion and promises to do everything to make sure all voices are not only heard, but understood, by Samford's administration.
It's time that we took ownership of our university. Let's start a new era of Samford life together.
If you haven't already noticed, there is new leadership in place around campus. Renie Moss has taken the new Assistant Dean of Students position, Lacey Simpson has taken charge of events, and Janna Pennington is now fostering Student Leadership and Development. These ladies are already doing a phenomenal job.
Beyond administration, though, outstanding student leaders across campus are taking ownership of their organizations. Separate, all these leaders will do a tremendous job within their own organizations. But once they find a way to all work together, then they have the power to bring about change unlike that which has yet been seen at Samford.
Beyond vague optimism, there are tangible changes that are being made this year. Some of these changes are internal to SGA. For example, SGA is rethinking the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC). Instead of allowing it to remain as a faux-Senate with many crippling inefficiencies, they plan on making it a forum to bring student leaders together across campus. With regards to overall communication, SGA is going to keep pushing to find ways to reach students until we find something that works. Both an SGA blog (http://samfordsga.blogspot.com) and a twitter account (www.twitter.com/samfordsga) are in place.
Other SGA changes are much more external. This year's Welcome Back week was the best Samford has had in quite some time. Everything from the concert Sunday night to the plethora of events around campus, to the road trip to FSU just goes to show what SGA is capable of, and indicates great things to come.
All of this is possible due to students' financial generosity. Out of the around $900,000 that students have given to Samford in the form of a student activity fee, over $210,000 is going directly into the SGA budget. The rest will be used to improve and build student facilities around campus (think sand volleyball courts and BBQ pits), and to make larger events become realities.
Regardless of what student leadership gets accomplished this year, it will be for nothing if students do not get on board. Student Government and Student Affairs both have one key word in them: student. This isn't about us, it's about you. So what can students do to help?
Perhaps the most important way one can take part in student life is simply to participate. Come to events, come to concerts, come to meetings, and SGA will do everything in its power to ensure that they will be worthwhile.
Students should also run in the upcoming fall SGA elections, whether it be for a Senator or a class officer. Freshmen have the opportunity to govern their own class by running for class officer or taking part in Freshman Forum.
There is no better way to take ownership of one's school than to take part in SGA. Fall election and Freshman Forum sign-ups are in the SGA office and will officially end this coming Friday, Sept. 10.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, students can help by simply being honest. Be honest with SGA and be honest with yourself about how you feel about Samford and Samford life. SGA wants to hear your opinion and promises to do everything to make sure all voices are not only heard, but understood, by Samford's administration.
It's time that we took ownership of our university. Let's start a new era of Samford life together.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Welcome Back
Welcome back everybody! It's good to see you all again. Thanks to everyone who helped make Connections and the concert last night such an overwhelming success. But that's only the start of the Welcome Back activities. SGA has an entire week of food and fun lined up, including:
Tuesday
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. McWane Science Center & Inflatables in Ben Brown
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Salsa Dancing Lessons & La Cocina Taco Bar in Hanna Center Lobby
Wednesday
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Mellow Mushroom & Caricatures in Ben Brown
Thursday
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Nothing But Noodles in Ben Brown & Inflatables on the Quad
Friday
Road trip to FSU
Saturday
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Post game party in Talbird Circle with free pizza and live music
Tuesday
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. McWane Science Center & Inflatables in Ben Brown
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Salsa Dancing Lessons & La Cocina Taco Bar in Hanna Center Lobby
Wednesday
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Mellow Mushroom & Caricatures in Ben Brown
Thursday
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Nothing But Noodles in Ben Brown & Inflatables on the Quad
Friday
Road trip to FSU
Saturday
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Post game party in Talbird Circle with free pizza and live music
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