THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

350 Ferst Dr NWAtlanta, GA 30318

(404) 894-2814

March 14, 2011GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Student Government AssociationCommunications Board

BI-WEEKLY NEWSLETTER BYVice President of Communications, Brooke McDaniel

Fellow Yellow Jackets, If you’re anything like me, you’re counting down the days until Spring Break (3 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes for me...) and trying to manage the incredible amount of schoolwork in between. With only 5 weeks of classes left after Spring Break, this semester is flying by. 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.

Elections:Elections packets are out 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. Election packets are due this Friday at 5 PM in the SGA office. Please see below for messages from current representatives encouraging students to run for office.

I had the honor to serve in the Student Government Association for the past year as the Aerospace Engineering Representative. One of the most important responsibilities of SGA is to disburse the Student Activity fund among student organizations. It has been a pleasure serving my AE constituents and meeting a wide group of competent people. I encourage each one of you to run for this position and I hope you will have a great impact on our campus. -Paul Balla

Serving as the President of the Sophomore Class has been one of the most rewarding things that I have done at Tech. I can't describe how great it feels to know that you are fighting for your peers to make this school, and even state, a better place. I have been able to contribute in discussions on HOPE, advocate for my peers on controversial issues, been able to go out and make friends within my classmates and discuss important issues, and I have been able to help a number of student organizations with worthy causes. I ran

with the intent to be a megaphone for my peers and I have loved every second acting as that megaphone for such a great class. I encourage you to try and make the same difference. The reward you get for fighting for your peers is unbelievable; I have been able to make things better for my class, I hope that you try and do the same for your peers. -Hunter Hammond

I held the office of Mechanical Engineering Representative in UHR this past year. My experience as a rep has been great. I was able to network with my constituents and meet new people in my major on a weekly basis. I have made a number of new friends and contacts during my term as ME rep, and I would encourage any ME looking to make a difference on campus to campaign for this position. It is a great leadership role and enables you to play a valuable role in assisting student organizations and uplifting the Georgia Tech community. -Kyle Johnson

For the past year I have been the Materials Science and Engineering representative in the Undergraduate House of Representatives. Bring a representative has given me the chance to not only meet a variety of people with the MSE major, but also from all around campus. As a member of the UHR, my primary responsibility is to distribute the student activity fee, which totals roughly 5 million dollars. This position is a great opportunity to get some leadership experience as well as get in touch with all of the many organizations at Georgia Tech, so I encourage as many people to run for a position. -Curtis Lemieux

Getting involved in SGA my sophomore year as a representative led me into the greatest involvement I've found on this campus. Serving in the house is a weekly reminder of the incredible things that students at Tech do and a great way to give back to them. In my two years as a representative, I've helped to fund countless events such as GT Night at Six Flags, Dance Competitions, Leadership Conferences and two One Night Stands. I appreciate the chance to give students opportunities that they might not be given at other schools with less effective Student Governments. My involvement with SGA has defined my time at Tech and I cannot emphasize enough how much I would encourage anyone interested in getting involved to take a chance and run! -Brooke McDaniel

Serving in Student Government has been one of my most rewarding experiences as an undergraduate. I can never decide what organization I wanted to invest myself in, and joining Student Government strikes that balance -- it allows me to be a decision-maker and intricately involved in the process of nearly every organization on campus [including the CRC and Student Center], which is nothing short of awesome. -Eran Mordel

Deciding to join SGA was a great decision as it opened many doors I would not have even known were there. I have made friends with a lot of people I otherwise would have not gotten the chance to meet. It is a great way to develop leadership skills while being able to give back to your community and represent your fellow classmates. -Patrick Nadeau

I am a Mechanical Engineering Representative within Student Government this year. I ran for a position within Student Governments Legislative Branch because, I was tired of just watching politics from the sideline, I wanted to get involved and make a different. I would encourage anyone who has ever had an interest in politics and wants to make a difference on campus to run for a position within SGA, I did and it was one of the best decision I have ever made while at Tech. I got firsthand experience on how government works, made a meaningful impact on campus, and in the process earned alot of respect for those that work in politics on a daily basis. -Matthew Vickers

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

Student-Faculty Expectations Agreement:With the new addition of a Student-Faculty Expectations Agreement passed by the Faculty Senate and the Undergraduate House, more discussion is permitted between students and faculty. As students, we must work to uphold our responsibilities in and out of the classroom. engaging with our professors will help create a more positive atmosphere at Georgia Tech. In the end, simple respect for knowledge, hard work and cordial interactions will help build the environment we seek. Check out the expectations at sga.gatech.edu/expectations.

Tsunami Response Efforts:Tech Cares will be hosting its first meeting today, March 15 at 11 AM in the SGA office to coordinate relief efforts for areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. If you or your organization is interested in being involved, please plan to attend the meeting or contact Elle Creel, ecreel@gatech.edu, for more information or minutes from the meeting.

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