The Student Government Association (SGA) met on Wednesday, Feb. 1, to discuss two new clubs and security on campus, as well as to begin implementing plans for the semester ahead.
Last week, the SGA voted to table the constitution of Le Moyne Loves Life, a new pro-life club that advocates against abortion, the death penalty and physician-assisted suicide. The club was given the opportunity to make changes to their constitution and present their case at the meeting last Wednesday.
The club members presented their intentions to SGA members. They assured SGA that there would be no political affiliation, and that their beliefs would not disrupt other students. Club members even encouraged other students with opposing views to come to their meetings to join in on civil, academic conversations.
After hearing the club’s claim, members voted 13-2 in favor of Le Moyne Loves Life becoming an official club.
Along with Le Moyne Loves Life, the Le Moyne Art Club also presented its constitution to the SGA and requested a semester budget of $500 for basic art supplies. Members unanimously voted in favor of the club.
From here, both clubs’ constitutions and budget requests will be sent to the Organizational Finance Review Committee (OFRC), where final decisions will be made.
The SGA also discussed security and safety issues on campus. John O’Brien, director of Security, met with junior SGA member Jules Shelton last week to discuss recent ongoing issues.
O’Brien expressed his frustration with how few students have signed up for “Heights Alert,” an emergency security system which contacts students via text message or email in the event of an emergency. While he stated that Le Moyne has a history of being a safe campus, O’Brien added every student would benefit from signing up for the free service.
Members also discussed other security issues on campus. Some members expressed their discomfort of seeing locals who are not affiliated with Le Moyne “hanging around” the dumpsters and the parking lots on campus.
Senior Joe O’Connor, a commuter, also noted that, although his swipe card does not grant him access to the dormitory buildings, he’s still in and out of the buildings several times a day.
“I usually just wait around for a few minutes until someone else is walking in and holds the door open for me. No one ever questions me about it either,” he explained.
Junior Nour el Houda Sahraoui agreed, saying, “There’s a very trusting community at Le Moyne, where any of us would hold the door open for someone like Joe. Someone outside of Le Moyne could easily take advantage of that.”
Shelton assured members she would bring these issues up at her next meeting with O’Brien. With more discussion with O’Brien and Security, members are hopeful that some of these issues can be resolved. To sign up for Heights Alert, visit www.lemoyne.edu/heightsalert.
Looking for more information on the changes around campus, want to ask a question or have your voice heard? Visit SGA’s website at lemoyne.campusgroups.com/SGA/about. Members also meet every Wednesday in Grewen Hall 408 at 9 p.m.
