May 1979
COLUMNS
Page Three
Columns Student Govt,
Kim Henley Discuses
S.G.A. Situation
By Safari Mathenge
Staff Writer
Kim Henley, President of SGA,
talks about her experience with the
SGA here at l.C.
Q; Where are you planning to
transfer to after Louisburg? Do you
plan to participate in the Student
Government of that college?
A: I plan to transfer to UNC-CH,
where I've been accepted into the
School of Journalism. I'm sure I'll
serve on some SGA committees at
UNC, but I don't plan to run for any
office - at least not during my first
year there. I think I'd enjoy working
on their Entertainment Committee.
UNC is a member of NECAA, as is
Louisburg College, and I think I'd
probably have a better understanding
of that committee than any other
initially.
Q: From experience, what sug
gestions would you offer to the future
SGA presidents that they take as
efficient measures to better student
life on campus?
A: I would suggest that future SGA
Presidents, officers, and senators
evaluate their budgets annually after
first semester to determine whether.
or not these budgets are sufficient. If
not, there's still a semester left to do
something about it - to begin
improvements for the next year. This
measure would help subsequent
SGA's drastically. I would also
recommend the SGA presidents
stress to students the importance of
being as conscientious as possible in
selecting their dorm senators. The
responsibility of the senators includes
meeting with their dorms and
discussing activities the students
would like to have on campus. If
responsible senators are not elected,
the voices of the majority of the
students are not heard. I think that a
giant step toward encouraging
student involvement lies there.
Q; In your opinion, do you think
that SGA has done enough to
activate students life on campus? If
not, what reason could you attribute
this to?
A: What is "enough"? I know that
we've tried to improve student life
and we've tried to get students to
participate in campus events. We've
shown eight movies this year -
Woodstock, One on One, and A Dog
Day Afternoon this semester. We've
had numerous dances, mostly discos,
and The Andrew Lewis Band for
Winter Weekend. The band was
good, as anyone there will tell you,
but not many students stayed to hear
it. We have Spring Weekend
scheduled for April 27 and 28 and
we've booked the Putnam County
Pickers and the Knoxville Grass Band.
April 29, A Piece of the Action will be
shown.
I don't think participation in the
events has been great, but I know
there hasn't been a decrease in
participation. We've tried to have
more events but they were cancelled
due to a lack of participation. Apathy
is a problem on every campus in this
nation. I receive correspondence
from colleges across the countiy,
including large universities, and they
have the same problems that we
have. We're all asking "why"
regarding apathy, but I don't think
there are any easy answers.
Q: In your current office this year
as the chairman for SGA, did you
encounter any financial handicaps
that may have limited your activities
as a government?
A: I think it's unrealistic to expect
the SGA to plan a year's yvorth of
activities on a budget of ten dollars
per person. When the new auditori
um is built, probably within the next
four years, maybe some of the
financial pressures of the SGA will be
diniinished. The SGA could open its
events to the public and charge
admission if the- campus had a
building large enough. I recognize the
problems this could create, but I feel
something could be worked out.
SGA's at large universities stretch
their budgets by doing this.
Q: Do you feel that you have
learned a lot in the way of leadership
from being the president of SGA?
A: I've definitely learned a great
deal about leadership this year. The
most valuable experiences I've
acquired have probably been through
my mistakes, but I've acquired those
experiences in honesty and sincerity.
It's difficult to sum up a year of
personal insights in a few words, but I
think the most important aspect of
leadership, and undoubtedly the most
difficult, lies in consistency. It's not
always easy to keep a pace you set
for yourself.
Q: Does the administration nor
mally have their way regardless of
what your government suggests?
A: The administration has been
great to work with, and in all honesty,
they've been easier to work with than
the students because I've known they
were dependable. (There have been
only a handful of students I've known
I could rely on, even when "the going
got tough", and I imagine they felt
like running the other way each time
they saw me coming). Every request
the SGA officers have taken to the
administration has been approved.
The administration has been reason
able and helpful. Because they've
been willing to work with us, we'll
have lights on our intramural field this
summer, and we've got a good start
on lights for the tennis courts. I'm
sure they'll work with future SGA's as
Students View Of S.G.A.
Many SGA officials feel that they
do not get enough response from the
student body they are serving. As a
result, the SGA functions have very
little effect in the students affairs on
campus. The students, however, feel
that the SGA does not come up with
functions and events that are
interesting enough to attract or
involve the student body.
The following are comments made
by some students that we're
interviewed;
Q. What is your feelings towards
the SGA? In your opinion, do you feel
that it has done the best it could to
make life on campus lively and a
worthwhile experience?
Steve Baker, Franklin Dorm Coun
cil member and last year's SGA
senator, had this to say;
"1 think SGA has done quite a bit,
with what they've got to work with,
but not as much as they could do. I
guess that's because students do not
take it seriously enough".
Q. What do you think is the reason
for the lack of student involvement?
Baker: "Some of the reason is that
students believe that the administra
tion will always have things their way,
regardless of the SGA. In other
words, many students feel that the
Student Government does not do
much of anything".
Q. What would you suggest to
SGA that might help them to attract
student involvement in their activi
ties?
Baker; "I don't know, but an
increase of student representatives
would help. I mean, people who
would represent the different be
havior sectors found within the
student body,. And I also think
visitation needs to be made more
liberal than it is now. If the Student
Government did things that are more
noticeable, like to organize softball
tournaments or other recognizable
activities, students would become
more responsive".
Baker is transferring to East
Carolina next semester. He feels that
he has learned a lot from Louisburg
College.
When asked his opinion of the
SGA, Craig Hart was almost
vehement. He replied:
"I don't know who SGA is. See,
Louisburg College bureaucracy is
worse than that of the United States
Government".
Kevin Dixon appeared to be
searching his brain when he was
asked to comment on SGA.
"All they have done is throw a
couple of discos, but that is no big
deal. If they had bands that would
suit different ethnic groups or if they
organized festivals that could raise
money, that would really be doing
something".
Kevin referred to the Folk Festival
held several weeks ago. He said that
festivals which interest other ethnic
groups should be held next, because
that could accelerate participation.
"The SGA tried to do something
this year, but there is still a lot they
could do. They need to bring
happenings here so that we can
enliven the college life by attracting
outsiders to come here, especially
during weekends. Weekends are so
dead here. Lord have mercyl!" The
Monk (Kevin Dixon) exclaimed in a
desperate tone.
Mark Strickler said: "I think they
have done a decent job, but they
need to work with the administration
so that the faculty can be more
lenient with students".
Steve Johnson: "I don't know
much about the SGA; I guess they
are doing an alright job. I don't see
much of what they do".
Shirley Witt: "Like most students
here, I really don't know a lot about
the SGA. I feel that if the SGA was
given more publicity more people
would be interested in becoming
involved in its activities".
well as they've worked with us.
Q: Having been involved with most
students, do you have anyone in
mind that you see fit to take up your
office after you?
A: I'll have to admit that I've kept
my eye on two people all year, one
male and one female, whom I
thought would make great SGA
presidents. I know that one of these
people definitely does not plan to run
for office, but I haven't given up on
the other one.
I'd like to thank the people who put
me in office with their votes of
confidence, and I wish everyone a
pleasant summer. I'm going to miss
the people who have grown to be
such an Integral part of my life these
past two years, and I have high hopes
for my fellow classmates! Special
thanks to Alice Royal, Polly Lind,
Angela Williams, Cindy Cobb, Gerri
Dewey, and Ed Voigt...for too many
things to begin to name!!