The University of Memphis Student Government Association's"Voice of the Students" slogan has some questioning if they arebeing represented.
Less than a week after the Student Government elections, someare reflecting on the progress SGA has made.
"I don't feel I am represented adequately by the SGA," saidRandy Wilson, junior English major. "I don't think the SGA is the'voice of the students.' I think it's the voice the administrationgives the students. By the time the SGA actually makes a decision,The U of M has already gone ahead with what it wanted to do."
Former SGA Vice President Meridith Kimmel said SGA officers workvery hard to understand and relay students' needs.
"In the past few years, students haven't really been able to seethe progress," she said. "But this semester, we've focused onbecoming more visible and letting more students know we are here torepresent them."
Being well known is one of the most important parts of asuccessful student government, said Sally Gates, newly-elected SGApresident and senior journalism major.
"When students know we are here, they know where to go tocomplain or make suggestions," Gates said. "Our job is to representstudents. But we cannot do that if students don't know we're hereand don't let us know what they want."
Some students say they are unaware of why the SGA exists, whatthe SGA can do for students and what the SGA has accomplished thusfar.
"I don't really know what they have or haven't done," saidKeyana Hall, sophomore biology major. "I couldn't tell you any ofthe people who are supposed to be representing me, and I wouldn'tknow who to talk to if I had a problem."
The SGA has devoted a great deal of time and energy makingitself known to students this semester and is steadily makingprogress, Gates said.
"We've had so many events like "A Doughnut for Your Thoughts,"Project United and the library project where we asked students whatbooks they wanted in the library," Gates said. "I think often weare not given credit. It stems from a lack of knowledge, whichwe're working on."
Some students are well aware of the SGA's role but continue tofeel inadequately represented, said Anthony Scaife, senior computerscience major.
"The SGA is aware of the demands of black fraternities on campusbut caters more to organizations like the Women's PanhellenicCouncil instead," he said. "They imposed rules on us that did notapply to other organizations, so I feel like they do represent thevoice of students but not all students."
