V THE VIDETTE
THURSDAY BIRD SPECIAL
Keeping up with SGA
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018 Vol. 130 / No. 35
videtteonline.com
Student leaders plan new initiatives this semester
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EMA SASIC | Editor in Chief | @ema_sasic
ith each new semester, Illinois State University’s Student Government Association members take time to reflect on the successes and challenges of the previous semester and prepare for what can improve the coming months, Student Body President Beau Grzanich said. “To measure SGA’s success on the previous semester, you have to first look at the aim of what we wanted out of our terms. When we campaigned as a ticket, [Student Body Vice President] Ashley Shannon, [Student Body Chief of Staff] Idan Rafalovitz and I decided that the name of our ticket would be “We Are ISU,” Grzanich said. “There’s not one person on this campus that will follow the same path as somebody else, and I know we all define diversity in different ways, but when we say it, we don’t mean we’re this
percent white, this percent black, this percent Latino and so on,” Shannon said. “We’re saying we all come from different backgrounds, we got here under different circumstances and we all play a part in what makes this community what it is.” Keeping this concept in mind, when Shannon, Rafalovitz and Grzanich were elected, they decided the three pillars they would base this year’s SGA on would be “United, Engaged and Active.” These three manifested themselves in several different ways last semester. Grzanich said the association wanted to be united, engaged and active in all walks of campus life, so it set up many initiatives that would tie into different sectors of campus. “From housing, to sustainability, to health and wellness, to athletics, to visibility, to town and gown relations, to creating platforms for positive
From left, Student Body Vice President Ashley Shannon, Student Body President Beau Grzanich and Student Body Chief of Staff Idan Rafalovitz talk about their plans for the spring semester.
NEWS 3
TV-10 TO LAUNCH NEW SHOW ‘IT’S SO FUNNY’
VIEWPOINT/SCHWALLER 4
LET’S ASK MEN SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS, NOT JUST WOMEN
political discourse, we have been just about everywhere,” he said. “For many of these events, the feedback we’ve had has been simply humbling.” SGA began a “You’ll Be Fine, Wait to Sign” initiative, which was geared at helping student understand their power in the off-campus housing leasing process and informing new students of the realities of student realty. The group reached over 30,000 people collectively. There was also a Feminine Hygiene effort which saw thousands of individuals making use of free feminine hygiene products provided by SGA. Shannon is working with the Student Wellness Ambassador Team to continue work this semester and develop plans for long-term funding. Other initiatives focused on relationships between students in terms of politics. see SGA page 3 Photograph by NATALIE STUCKSLAGER Vidette Photo Editor
SPORTS 8
REDBIRDS BEAT OUT BY PANTHERS