Crystal Banks
cbanks@valdosta.edu

As VSU grows and expands, it is necessary that other changes and improvements be implemented to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff. While many students recognize problems within the university, few know how to actually go about voicing their concerns. It is for these very students that VSU’s Student Government Association was established.

Addressing those issues that trouble students the most, SGA has worked to make tremendous improvements in student quality of life this year. Because the association is student led, student government members are able to easily identify with many of the university concerns affecting the student body.

SGA realizes that one of students’ greatest hindrances is the current parking dilemma, and the association has made vast steps toward improving this long-existing problem.

“We have had to address several issues dealing with parking this semester,” Jonathon Stroble, SGA president and public administration graduate student, said. “We have worked in conjunction with Rob Kellner, director of Auxiliary Services, to bus hours to several off campus locations and improve the parking lots at these locations.”

Parking spaces surrounding Patterson Hall, Brown Hall, and Lowndes Hall used to only allow students to park for 20 minutes, but with the help of SGA, these spaces are now all 90 minute parking spaces.

“We feel this will better accommodate students who are driving to campus,” Stroble said.

Although the parking predicament is a major problem on the VSU campus, it is not the only issue that SGA is currently addressing.

“We are also working on a possible bill to address issues dealing with student I.D. cards,” Stroble said.

Students are given one student I.D. card upon first enrolling at VSU. This card is used for various things such as payment for food, goods, and services campus-wide as well as admission to university sponsored events like football and basketball games or even CAB, Campus Activity Board, sponsored events.

Since I.D. cards are constantly being swiped through readers for one reason or another, many students have encountered a problem with fading student I.D. photos, and replacing a student I.D. costs $15 at VSU One Card Services.

SGA hopes to establish a bill through which students will be allowed another I.D. card if their photo fades.

SGA is also planning for the Miss VSU pageant in April. More details on the pageant will be announced in the future.

SGA meets each Monday at 8 p.m. in the Odum Library Auditorium. All meetings are open to the public.