This week’s key takeaways from SGA Senate

By ELEANOR SHAW The Breeze

The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate passed an amendment expanding the responsibilities of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Accessibility (DEIJA+) Committee Chair, approved a program grant for JMU Unaccompanied and heard from Big Brothers Big Sisters during Tuesday’s meeting.

SGA passes DEIJA+ Chair Amendment

The SGA Senate unanimously passed an amendment requiring the DEIJA+ committee Chair to “maintain a working relationship” with the Vice President and Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and the chief diversity officer at JMU, Malika-Carter Hoyt.

Sophomore Takiyah Monrose-Richardson, a DEIJA Committee member, said previous versions of SGA’s constitution didn’t provide sufficient information about who the DEIJA chair should remain in contact with. MonroseRichardson said the amendment will help future DEIJA+ committee chairs know who to talk to within the JMU community.

“That just shows we are not just doing things to benefit SGA but doing things to benefit the entire university,” sophomore DEIJA+ committee member Lexi Alston said.

SGA approves program grant

The SGA Senate unanimously approved a $5,000 program grant for JMU Unaccompanied, a student acapella group. The grant will fund the group’s upcoming April 30 concert at Memorial Hall.

JMU Unaccompanied was represented by its treasurer, junior Lillie Jerome.

Jerome said the concert will feature the debut of the group’s EP and won’t require entry fees for the estimated 300 attendees. The grant will go toward funding the concert’s sound, lighting, advertisements, photography and food, Jerome said.

She added the group’s fundraising efforts have included merchandise sales, paid appearances, a GoFundMe and a Grilled Cheese Mania Night. Jerome said the majority of the money raised went toward auditions, callbacks and the creation of the group’s EP.

“JMU Unaccompanied works really hard for this concert, and this event caters to the JMU student body, so I think we should vote pro,” junior Mahek Shroff, SGA’s finance liaison, said.

Big Brothers Big Sisters presents to SGA

The Senate heard a presentation from Big Brothers Big Sisters, an off-campus organization that works to connect JMU students with local children — aged 6 to 14 — to provide role models and forge friendships. The organization was represented by Program Specialist Talia Paez.

Paez said the organization is made up of three programs. The community-based program connects mentors, or “bigs,” to mentees, or “littles,” with the pairs meeting at least twice a week. The school-based program has JMU students work and play with Spotswood Elementary students once a week, and the Sports Buddies Program consists of organized activities occurring twice a month in which JMU students and the children participate.

“We like our kids to be exposed to … fun things that are ideally educational and help them develop healthy life skills,” Paez said.

Paez said the organization’s efforts to match children with their mentors were made difficult during the pandemic, leaving 150 children without mentors.

Paez encouraged SGA members to spread information on Big Brothers Big Sisters through word of mouth or by inviting the group to present elsewhere.

“We are hoping to get more bigs in the door and engage more with JMU’s campus,” Paez said. “You are excellent role models to kids who will hopefully be first-generation college students.”

CONTACT Eleanor Shaw at shaweo@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.