The recent SGA presidential election has spurred heated debate about certain topics, including the loss of Boken, the organization of R.A.G.E, and the outcome of Techfest. The SGA, aware that there is discontent among the study body, has agreed to hold an open forum on December 6 to “inform the misinformed,” according to senior senator Kevin Quigley.
Rather than hold an SGA meeting according to their rules of order, the executives of the SGA have agreed to override the standard protocol, and will instead hold the meeting as a forum wherein any interested members of the Stevens community can come to express their concerns. “We are looking to have a panel of experts,” said Quigley. The panel will consist of leaders who were or are currently in charge of planning for several of the bigger events on campus, specifically R.A.G.E and Techfest.
One discussion that the SGA hopes to have with students concerns the allocation of funds that normally is reserved for TechFest and Boken. As it stands, there is not enough money to hold a festival in the 2016 spring semester. Thus, the next opportunity for a festival will be in the Fall 2016 semester, and the SGA is looking for students to have an honest discussion with their representatives regarding the decision to hold TechFest or perhaps something completely different. President Matthew Hunt hopes that this forum will help guide the SGA to a decision that will please the student body.
The open forum will be held in BC 122 on Sunday, December 6. Any questions should be directed to the SGA cabinet at sga@stevens.edu.
