During the SGA weekly meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee explained their plans for developing partnerships with other on-campus, student-led organizations. Representatives also planned for the upcoming student elections and coordinated around recent weather conditions.
Senior Class President Walden Hicks proposed coordinating with Julian Mola, the vice president of finance, to move SGA tabling for Valentine’s Day forward to the week of Feb. 17 after due to the rainy weather Feb. 20 and Feb. 21 while still keeping the Valentine’s theme. The Feb. 18 student town hall date has not changed.
“We’re going to also be moving our tabling date to next week just because of the virtual classes on Thursday, which was our original date, and then the rain on Friday,” Hicks said. “So that’ll be sometime next week. Still Valentine’s theme.”
SGA President Mentzer then called up a few of the committee chairs to provide updates on their committee efforts.
Viviana Hernandez, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee co-chair, has been working with other clubs such as the Feminist Club and Black Student Association for applications for their programs and advertising for their social media during Black History Month.
“I’m currently waiting to hear back from the Black Student Association,” Hernandez said. “I want to partner with them to elevate their voices.”
The DEIA Committee is also working with Community Engagement Services to be involved with disability awareness week and was offered a tabling day to be more involved with accessibility on campus.
“I was going to offer it up as an opportunity to if anybody has a resolution idea that’s geared towards an accessibility issue on campus,” Hernandez said. “I would break with time to publicize to the students and do a petition format to get signatures and talk about the resources that SGA can provide.”
Hernandez also mentioned that despite the politics surrounding DEI, she intends for SGA to have a significant impact on campus. Community Engagement Services offered the committee a tabling day March 12, but the final date is still yet to be decided.
“We want it to be equitable and inclusive. And that’s a big reason why all of us are in this room,” Hernandez said. “So in the next few months I really want us to focus on leaving the biggest tangible footprint of improvement on this campus as we possibly can.”
Stephen Weinstock, director of the General Judicial Council, has held the election procedure for possible leadership positions which the SGA members are expected to attend as there were debates on Feb. 17.
“I think it’s a really awesome opportunity for students to hear from the possible candidates who are receiving the senior dean,” SGA Adviser Danielle Minke said.
At the end of the meeting, three nominees for the SGA position gave speeches and the SGA members subsequently voted.
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Contact Christy Thien via email: christy.thien@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @christy.e.t
