Ithaca College SGA
311 Egbert Hall,
953 Danby Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
p. (607) 274-3085 / f. (607) 274-1725
sga@ithaca.edu

Student Body President Accepts Internship

The president of the SGA will take a month-long leave of absence next semester

ITHACA, New York – September 1, 2009 – Jeffrey Goodwin, President of the Ithaca College Student Government Association (SGA), will be off campus for approximately one month next spring semester. During his absence, Aubrey Bendix, the current Vice President of Campus Life, will be overseeing the presidential responsibilities.

This past summer, Mr. Goodwin accepted an internship with NBC for the Vancouver Olympics in British Columbia, Canada. The internship will last from February 6 to March 7, 2010.

“At first I completely wrote off going to Vancouver,” said Mr. Goodwin. “But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it will be possible to complete this internship without jeopardizing the SGA.”

The four SGA Vice Presidents and the Senate Chair were notified of Mr. Goodwin’s intentions over the summer. Mr. Goodwin and Ms. Bendix have spent the past month planning how best to ensure a seamless transition in the spring.

“I chose Aubrey Bendix to take on the presidential role because of her extensive campus involvement and proven leadership abilities,” said Mr. Goodwin.

Mr. Goodwin will be in close contact with all members of the SGA executive board throughout his internship. Upon returning from Vancouver, Mr. Goodwin will relieve Ms. Bendix of her temporary role and reassume all previous presidential responsibilities.

Any questions regarding the transition process or general SGA inquiries can be directed to Will Mathewson, Vice President of Communication. Students are always encouraged to email sga@ithaca.edu, stop by the office in the Student Activities Center (3rd floor of Campus Center), or call 607-274-3085. Students are also invited to attend the SGA’s weekly meetings and speak to the SGA directly during "public forum.”

The Student Government Association is the representative body of Ithaca College students which functions as a liaison between the student body and the administration. In addition, the SGA plans events and seeks new ways to improve the lives of students at Ithaca College. The SGA meets every Tuesday night in the Taughannock Falls Meeting Room on the third floor of Campus Center. Meetings begin at 8:15 p.m. and are open to the public. More information is available online at www.ithaca.edu/sga.

Posted by VP of Communications on 09/14/09



Student Organization Funds Lower Than Expected

Fewer Dollars for Allocation Will Necessitate Frugality in the Upcoming Semester

ITHACA, New York - December 16, 2008 - The SGA announced Tuesday that allocations to student organizations that took place this fall as well as those that took place last spring have, combined with economic factors, contributed to unexpectedly low funding for student organizations next semester. The current economic recession and resulting departmental budget cuts have also had an influence on the funds. At this point, the Student Government Association's Budget Committee has successfully allocated the majority of organizational funding. All remaining funds, which total just over $20,000, will be distributed next semester.

These factors will necessitate an increased sense of frugality for student organizations in the upcoming months. The SGA is dedicated to supporting the needs of Ithaca College students and has been working to spread the word about the budget. The SGA hopes that by sharing this information with the campus community, leaders of student organizations will realize that funds are limited and will make efforts to cut back on expenses next semester.

Incoming Vice President of Business and Finance Brian Keefe, who is filling Miriam Feldman's existing VP position, will be the new person in charge of the Budget Committee. Miriam will be studying abroad during the spring semester. Brian brings extensive experience in finance and accounting to the position, and the SGA's Executive Board is confident that he will be adequately prepared to guide the Budget Committee through the spring budget process. Treasurers of student organizations are encouraged to contact Brian at sgabusiness@ithaca.edu with any allocation questions. Any other questions can be emailed to Student Body President Cornell Woodson at cwoodso1@ithaca.edu.

The SGA encourages organizations to get in touch if they need help with the fundraising process or need ideas on how to put on the same exciting events on a smaller budget. Students are encouraged to email sga@ithaca.edu, stop by the office in the Student Activities Center (3rd floor of Campus Center), or call 607-274-1414. Students are also invited to attend the SGA's weekly meetings and speak to the SGA directly during "public forum".

The Student Government Association is the representative body of Ithaca College students which functions as a liaison between the student body and the administration. In addition, the SGA plans events and seeks new ways to improve the lives of students at Ithaca College. The SGA meets every Tuesday night in the Taughannock Falls Meeting Room on the third floor of Campus Center. Meetings begin at 8:15 p.m. and are open to the public. More information is available online at www.ithaca.edu/sga.


Posted by VP of Communications on 12/18/08



SGA Brings Cortaca to Students on Campus

No Tickets? No Problem. Live Screening of the Cortaca Game on November 15th

ITHACA, New York - November 7, 2008 - The SGA has just announced plans to host a live screening of the Cortaca game, scheduled to take place Saturday, November 15th, at noon. The event, which will be held in IC Square, will feature free pizza and wings, a raffle, and a large projection screen airing the game.

This event is designed for students not going the Cortaca Jug to have a chance to watch it in a warm, dry place. Since the game can be viewed at a convenient on-campus location, students need not worry about traveling Cortland to see IC play its biggest rival. The event is totally free and open to all students.

"Tickets are usually hard to get for Cortaca, especially when it is held in Cortland," points out VP of Communications Luke Elmers, "Our goal was to provide a place for students who are unable to attend the game to still have the Cortaca experience." The screening, organized by the SGA's Event Planning Committee, is a part of the SGA's continued efforts to reach out to the student body in new and original ways.

The Cortaca Jug is the trophy given to the winner of the annual college football game between the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons and the Ithaca College Bombers. The game is one of the most prominent in Division III football and has been dubbed the "Biggest Little Game in America" by Sports Illustrated. Limited capacity in both the Ithaca College and SUNY Cortland stadiums often results in tickets selling out the day they go on sale, which proved to be the case this year. Lucky fans that do get tickets usually travel to the host school and watch the game amongst an excited, rowdy crowd.

The Student Government Association is the representative body of Ithaca College students which functions as a liaison between the student body and the administration. In addition, the SGA plans events and seeks new ways to improve the lives of students at Ithaca College. The SGA meets every Tuesday night in the Taughannock Falls Meeting Room on the third floor of Campus Center. Meetings begin at 8:15 p.m. and are open to the public. More information is available online at www.ithaca.edu/sga.

[NOTE: this version of the article CORRECTS the previous version, which incorrectly stated that the event begins at 1pm. The event actually begins at noon. We apologize for any confusion!]

ITHACA, New York - October 15, 2008 - Today, the Executive Board of the Ithaca College Student Government Association announced that they will be hosting a new event called "The Chopping Block: Your Chance to Put the SGA in the Hot Seat". The event, to take place Thursday, October 23rd from 7:00-8:00pm in IC Square, will function as an "open mic" question and answer session where students can voice concerns about the issues facing Ithaca College. The SGA Executive Board will be there to answer questions directly and engage their peers in discussion on the issues at hand.

This event was created to respond to concerns over what SGA does, how they work, and how students can participate in the activities of the SGA. "As a student organization that relies almost entirely on student feedback, this seemed like a natural way to encourage students to speak directly with us about what issues matter to them the most," says Luke Elmers, VP of Communications, "One of our primary goals as an executive board is to reach out to students in new and innovative ways, and we feel that The Chopping Block is a perfect example of how we can do that."

"This is a great opportunity for IC students to come out and voice their concerns to the SGA in a more informal and inviting setting," adds Jeff Goodwin, Student Director of the Alumni Board and SGA Executive Board member, "We're optimistic that events like The Chopping Block will help guide the SGA in our pursuit of voicing students' concerns."

Recent concerns raised over issues such as chalking have fueled an even greater interest in the involvements of the SGA, and the Executive Board hopes students will take advantage of this opportunity to speak out. The SGA is encouraging students to submit questions beforehand via email at sga@ithaca.edu. This will help guide the conversation for the hour-long Q&A session and will enable students who cannot be in attendance to participate. The Chopping Block is a part of the SGA's ongoing efforts to involve the student body in every aspect of its decision making, and any questions or comments can be directed to Luke Elmers, VP of Communications, at lelmers1@ithaca.edu

The Student Government Association is the representative body of Ithaca College students which functions as a liaison between the student body and the administration. In addition, the SGA plans events and seeks new ways to improve the lives of students at Ithaca College. The SGA meets every Tuesday night in the Taughannock Falls Meeting Room on the third floor of Campus Center. Meetings begin at 8:15 p.m. and are open to the public. More information is available online at www.ithaca.edu/sga.

ITHACA, New York - October 6, 2008 - The SGA announced plans last week to reach out to the student body for feedback in regards to "chalking" on campus. Currently, writing with chalk anywhere on campus is considered a form of vandalism according to the Ithaca College administration. The SGA asks this: should students be allowed to use chalk to promote events?

For the past few years, the SGA has received feedback from students that chalking could offer a more sustainable form of advertising than wasting paper to print hundreds of flyers. Additionally, some student organizations have suggested that there is a need for better, more creative ways to promote events on campus. As a result of this feedback, the SGA has spearheaded efforts to institute a chalking policy on a semester or year-long trial basis.

Last year, a chalking proposal originally written by Luke Elmers '10, VP of Communications, and approved by the SGA was submitted to the administration. This proposal was sent back to the SGA with an approval for a year-long trial under the condition that the policy be completely monitored and operated by the SGA. "Last year's senate felt that a trial period operated solely by the SGA wasn't really indicative of how successful the program might be," said Elmers, "We felt that if the administration were really behind the implementation of a trial period, they would allow it to operate the way it was designed to - with multiple parties monitoring and regulating chalking." As of last year, the SGA had not yet reached an agreement with the administration on the best way to implement this trial policy. However, they are revisiting the idea this fall.

"The SGA will continue to work as it has in the past to come to some type of agreement with the administration that suits both the SGA, the students at large, and administrative concerns," says Cornell Woodson '09, Student Body President, "As long as chalking continues to be a concern of the student body, the SGA will continue to fight for it."

The SGA is actively pursuing student opinions on this important topic. Students are encouraged to email sga@ithaca.edu, stop by the office in the Student Activities Center (3rd floor of Campus Center), or call 607-274-1414. Students are also invited to attend the SGA's weekly meetings and speak to the SGA directly during "public forum" - one of the topics this week will be chalking.

The Student Government Association is the representative body of Ithaca College students which functions as a liaison between the student body and the administration. In addition, the SGA plans events and seeks new ways to improve the lives of students at Ithaca College. The SGA meets every Tuesday night in the Taughannock Falls Meeting Room on the third floor of Campus Center. Meetings begin at 8:15 p.m. and are open to the public. More information is available online at www.ithaca.edu/sga.