Student Government Association amps up connections with first Student Senate meeting

By Brannagh Rattiagn

Student Body President Lizbeth Ortiz and her Student Government Association executive board opened the afternoon of Sept. 10 with their first Senate meeting of the academic year.

With nearly all of the seats filled in the Rue Auditorium, located in Sweigart Hall, the SGA team each introduced themselves to the attending students and led the informal meeting with a short slideshow. 

Staying true to their mission statement, which includes building long-lasting relationships and advocating for the student body, the slides contained two student-input forms; one regarding financial aid concerns, and the other providing a chance to show interest in suicide prevention training.

Though this meeting was an informal introduction to SGA for new and returning students, Ortiz is committed to making her last year at Rider the best it can be, given her position.

“I’m a senior already, so just making the most of it and having my last year end off with a bang and let the student body know that I’m really here for them and that I care for them,” Ortiz said. “It’s like a love that I feel to the student body.”

Lizbeth Ortiz is a senior human resource management major who was elected as student body president in April. 

As well as her entire SGA team, Ortiz is dedicated to provide visibility for all students and to ensure that they are aware of SGA, as both a resource and a support system. 

“I’m making sure that I’m visible to all these different departments, especially with our first-gen departments such as TRIO and EOP, Educational Opportunity Program, and making sure that they know we’re also a resource for them to advocate anything that they hear from students to advocate to SGA,” Ortiz said.

Supporting words with action, Ortiz relayed that SGA is in the process of introducing campus projects to better students’ daily lives and provide more spaces for recreational activities.

“Definitely getting one or two campus projects, having more space on campus so our students can be outside more,” Ortiz said. “I believe that being outside is very important for our mental health and just taking a breath to slow down.”

Within these projects, Ortiz shared that the Zen Garden, which SGA is partnering with the Counseling Center to create, should hopefully be completed and available to students by mid-September. 

SGA emphasizes connecting with students more than anything, and to honor that, they now have office hours open to anyone at any time, no appointment needed. Ortiz also stressed that her secondary Instagram account, dedicated to her SGA candidacy, is always open to students to contact her personally.

Adaeze Anene, a junior behavioral neuroscience and political science double major, serves as SGA’s vice president of student affairs. Within her position, Anene oversees two committees, equity and inclusion, as well as student organizations.

In regards to the first Senate meeting, Anene noted that future, more formal meetings will include voting and more audience participation, but the act of simply showing up and being involved already makes a difference.

“You’re just getting involved and your presence already speaks enough,” Anene said. “Senate is a way for us to work together to collaborate, and we can’t do that without the students.”

Anene’s position relies on reaching out to students and organizations on campus to establish a relationship with SGA. Overseeing equity and inclusion, she stressed the importance of hearing student’s voices.

“Just making sure no matter who you are and where you’re from, your voice is just as important and just as equally listened to as another voice,” Anene said.

As Rider enters a period of change, Anene sympathizes with students, communicating that, although frustration comes with change, it is important to maintain an understanding that everything is happening for a reason, and SGA will guarantee that the concerns of students are heard.

“We’re turning things up. We’re here to do business. We’re here to uplift,” Anene said.

Anene hopes to create positive change at Rider this upcoming academic year. Through her position, Anene intends to diversify the opinions that are advocated for, as well as promote inclusivity in club activities and collaborations.

“We’ve been working on a project to bring multicultural leaders of different organizations to come together and really share concerns, or things they may not have felt comfortable sharing before,” Anene said.

Overall, at their first meeting, the SGA team has highlighted the need to establish a connection with the student body. Anene stressed this through a brief sentiment, saying, “Sometimes you might not even need a solution, you just need to be listened to, and that’s what we’re here for.”

SGA Senate meetings will continue weekly on Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. in the Rue Auditorium. Future events led by SGA include the Fall Fest in October and Midnight Breakfast for midterms.