SGA’s centennial activities underway

The members of the Southern Miss Student Government Association have big plans for the centennial year as they simultaneously prepare for the centennial celebration, SGA elections and the year’s remaining student initiatives.

The university’s centennial celebration is planned for March 30. On that day in 1910, Mississippi Normal College, the first state-supported teacher training school in Mississippi, was founded.

“The centennial celebration will run all day, from nine to six, and the programming commission is putting things together so we will have things going on as a part of that throughout the entire day,” SGA President J.R. Robinson said.

Kasey Mitchell is the director of the SGA Programming Committee. She said that she and her committee are hard at work planning for events for the celebration. Mitchell said student involvement is one of the priorities for her commission.

“During the morning, we will have the normal events that we have on Founder’s Day like inauguration and the award ceremony,” said Mitchell.

In the afternoon, they plan to have food, a live band and other activities for students to enjoy.

“We want it to be one big party,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell said that students faculty and staff will be able to be a part of a picture in M.M. Roberts stadium which will consist of students, faculty and staff all making the shape of a “100” in the field, the picture will be shot from overhead.

“We are also going to bury a time capsule in the front of the school under the new centennial gate. Groups can buy space to put whatever they want into the capsule,” said Mitchell.

SGA has other initiatives in the works as the end of the Robinson administration approaches.

Kyle Nixon, the Director of Executive Initiatives, said that the senate is preparing to transition into the next administration as election time quickly approaches.

The SGA senate is also amending the group’s constitution to fix various contradictions, clarify it, and make it more accessible. Additionally, the senate is planning to allocate $16,500 to student organizations.

“That is the largest amount that has been given out in a while,” said Robinson.

Nixon said that the senate is also working on changes to the election code to make it more up-to-date.

Nixon feels that the money being allocated to student groups is helpful.

“Student organizations without budgets can apply for the money to attend conferences and buy supplies,” said Nixon.

Robinson and his cabinet are working with the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and state legislature to lower the amount of funding that will be cut in the upcoming school year. Robinson said they are trying to get students involved with a letter writing campaign.

Later this year, he and a committee will travel to Jackson to meet with legislators about the budget cuts.The administration is also planning for the return of past initiatives.

“We want to bring back things that were really popular last year like having the Powerhouse open late nights around exams for people to study, and storage for bikes over spring break,” said Robinson.

SGA elections are scheduled for Feb. 23 and 25 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center, Liberal Arts Building, Cook Library, and the Bolton Hall Classroom.