Greetings! UNA students, it is my esteemed pleasure to report to you that your Student Government Association is diligently serving and working to promote your interests to the university administration. Since the SGA State of the Association Address in September, the SGA has put in motion the necessary tools to accomplish the various goals that were outlined at the event.

The SGA-proposed recycling program continues to move quicker than originally anticipated. At the moment, the SGA is forming a partnership with the Florence Recycling Center in order to achieve this goal. The Florence Recycling center, in collaboration with UNA, recently acquired a grant for this purpose and is very eager for the SGA’s partnership on behalf of the students.

The SGA plans to have an informal survey on recycling Oct. 25 in the GUC Atrium in preparation for the SGA recycling kickoff Nov. 15 in simultaneous locations on campus.

I recently created an ad-hoc committee under the leadership of SGA Treasurer John Ledgewood, responsible for helping the SGA raise the $25,000 or more required to establish the endowed scholarship. This committee will be tasked with locating 100 individuals to give a pledge of $250 over the next year in order to raise the desired amount.

SGA Senate is actively doing the needed research on the proposed UNA day care and multicultural centers, as well as the safety for pedestrians on Pine Street, and the results of those will be put in legislative writing before the end of the semester.

I am pleased to announce that the SGA Ideas to Action Campaign has been a success so far. The two main branches of SGA have been setting up at different locations on campus once a month to listen to your ideas and input. So far, you have shown your willingness to engage with SGA to help solve some of the problems you are encountering.

The next Ideas to Action will be in November, and you can always contact Laura Giles, SGA chief of staff, at [email protected] with any comments.

The University Program Council has also been working to bring the best value for money programming for students. The SGA-UPC Service committee will be having a Halloween Festival Oct. 27 at Florence High School to benefit special needs kids.

SGA will also be hosting the 2011 Step Show Nov. 1 in Flowers Hall, and we are really excited to be in a position once again to raise necessary funds for United Way, all in our effort to reach out to the community.

As SGA President, I want to encourage students to continue to engage with us as we reach out to you, and I hope that your experience here at UNA will only get better. The SGA meetings are open to everyone. Senate meets on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m., and UPC meets on Mondays at 3:30 p.m., both in GUC Room 200.