THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

350 Ferst Dr NWAtlanta, GA 30318

(404) 894-2814

March 1, 2011GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Student Government AssociationCommunications Board

BI-WEEKLY NEWSLETTER BYVice President of Communications, Brooke McDaniel

Fellow Yellow Jackets, Next week highlights an integral part of the Georgia Tech experience--remembering why we all love it here! In its second year on campus, I<3GT Week is put on by multiple organizations with programming throughout the week of March 7-11 to lift your spirits during midterms. Below you’ll find the week’s scheduled events. SGA has a lot in the works to enhance your experience on campus and in the classroom. Please see below for what we’re working on!

Apply to Serve as a Student Government Representative:The Georgia Tech Student Government Association Is currently accepting applications for the following positions in the Undergraduate House of Representatives:

College of Computing RepresentativeSchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering Representative

School of Industrial Design RepresentativeSenior Class Representative

SGA representatives play a role in allocating the nearly $5 million Student Activity Fee budget and also serve as advocates for the students within their school or program on a variety of campus issues. Meetings of the Undergraduate House are held weekly on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM. Students selected for these positions will serve for the remainder of the spring semester. If you are interested in applying for the position, please visit http://www.sga.gatech.edu/undergraduate/legislative/get-involved. More information on SGA and on the role of the Undergraduate House of Representatives can also be found on our website, http://sga.gatech.edu/undergraduate. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so we hope that you will apply for this position soon. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email Executive Vice President Brenda Morales at bmm@gatech.edu.

Constitution and Bylaws Change Effective Today:The changes to the USGA’s Constitution and Bylaws that were approved last semester, creating a joint President and Vice President ticket and a Speaker of the House position go into effect today. The updated versions can be found at http://www.sga.gatech.edu/undergraduate/policies

Elections:Elections packets go out tomorrow for Representative positions as well as President and Vice President. If you are interested in getting involved in SGA, this is a great opportunity for you to serve your fellow students and let your voice serve the entire campus. The schedule is as follows, and more details can be found at http://www.sga.gatech.edu/undergraduate/executive/get-involved/elections

• March 2nd – Election Packets are released. • March 7-16th – Election Orientation Period• March 10h – SGA Informational Session• March 18th – Election Packets are Due• Week of April 3rd (Tentative: April 5th @ 11a) – Executive Debate• April 8th-13th – Voting Period/Spring Election

HOPE Updates:HOPE legislation voting was unexpectedly voted on by the House today and just passed WITHOUT any amendments to include a grandfather clause. The legislation will next be voted on in the Senate. Make sure that your perspective as a Georgia Tech student is heard by your Senator. Reaching out to your Senator is easy and effective in influencing the final legislation. Emails need to be sent as soon as possible to be effective, so send one TODAY. Here's what you need to do--1. Look up your Senator's Name:First find your Senator's name- type in your address or zip code, then scroll down to find "Congressional" in blue and underneath will be your State Senators' names here: http://www.votesmart.org/official_state.php?state_id=GA&dist&go2.x=5&go2. Look up your Senator's best contact email addressYou have to scroll down to find your Senators' names, and their email address is in the far right column here: http://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/en-US/SenateMembersList.aspx3. Customize the below email OR write your own version sharing your thoughts on the changes to HOPE4. Send the email!Just 10 minutes of your time can make a HUGE difference in Georgia Tech student's interest being represented in the final legislation on HOPE funding!

Dear Senator _______________,I am __________, a __ year student _______major at Georgia Tech from ______. I am writing to you today regarding Governor Deal’s proposal for the HOPE scholarship.

A number of my fellow students and I are concerned about the lack of a grandfather clause in the proposal. I have made academic and financial decisions under an expectation of what the HOPE scholarship requirements currently are. So, while I understand that the current budget situation requires the scholarship to change, the current legislation does not allow adequate time for me and other Georgia students to alter our financial and academic plans.

So, today I ask that you all would thoughtfully consider the addition of a grandfather clause. Such a clause would give me adequate time to financially prepare for an investment in my education and ensure that Georgia’s universities continue to enroll and retain Georgia’s best students and future leaders.

Sincerely,_______________

I<3GT Week!Programs for I<3GT week will be going on all of next week. Look for chalking around campus by FLOs, free tshirts all week, and a ton of events going on. See http://www.sga.gatech.edu/IHEARTGT for more information and the schedule.

Parking and Transportation Survey Results:Last semester SGA’s Parking and Transportation Chair, Dustin Hsu, conducted a survey of students regarding their experiences with P&T. Results are finalized and have been presented to staff. P&T is looking in to creating wallet cards with parking information that students would find convenient to have handy, among other things. Also, students driving mopeds on campus will be required to purchase a discounted parking pass for the upcoming school year. Some statistics from the survey:• 670 students responded to the survey

• 60% have GT parking passes

• 49% of students that have received a parking ticket appealed it

• 85% of students would be interested in an informational wallet card with parking information

• 60% of students report waiting less than 6 minutes for Stingers and Trolleys

Progress and Service Award:The Georgia Institute of Technology Progress and Service Award was established by the Student Government Association to acknowledge students who have made a significant impact on the Tech community. This distinction recognizes undergraduate students who most portray the ideals of Progress and Service in their Georgia Tech careers. This award, which includes a stipend of $1000 each, will be granted to two undergraduate students and will be presented to the recipients at the annual Up with the White and Gold on April 28, 2011. Applications are due April 1 at 5 PM. If you have any questions about this award, you may contact Akshar Patel, Academic Affairs Board member, at avpatel@gatech.edu. More information and the complete application can be found at www.sga.gatech.edu/PandS

Publix Marathon:The 2011 Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon will be held on Sunday, March 20, 2011. The Go T.E.C.H (Teams Encouraging Campus Health) Coalition will once again take part in the event by coordinating Georgia Tech’s Hydration Station on Tech Parkway. The Georgia Tech hydration station is the last leg of the race. In order to make this a successful event for all the competing athletes, we need volunteers from the Georgia Tech community--students, faculty, and staff--to lend a helping hand.

To register as a volunteer, please follow these instructions 1. Go to http://www.rungeorgiamarathon.com2. Click on VOLUNTEERS link below the main slideshow3. Scroll down and click the link next to Are you already a group member?4. Once on the group page, select Georgia Tech from the drop down menu.5. The password is: gt11 (case sensitive; use lower case)6. Complete the online registration form.

Woodruff Arts Cards:Have you purchased a season pass to Woodruff but not made it over to the WAC campus to redeem your card? Good news! Next Wednesday, March 9 from 10-2, personell from Woodruff will be on Tech’s campus to switch out your receipt for a card. Head over to the Student Center Box Office to get your card.

Student Government is here to serve you, so please know that we are always willing to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me at any time with concerns or questions that you may have, or if you’re interested in getting involved in what we’re doing!

Best Wishes,Brooke McDanielbmcdaniel3@gatech.eduVice President of CommunicationsStudent Government Association