The Student Government Association student senate gave students the opportunity to voice their opinions and share their concerns on several topics at the N.O.I.S.E. (Nicholls Open Idea Student Exchange) forum last Thursday.
The N.O.I.S.E. forum began with introductions from the SGA executive board, senators and Nicholls administration, faculty and staff. The “ground rules” were relayed to guests and included such rules as “raise your hand and wait to be recognized before speaking” and “no profanity or insults.”
“There were not as many people as I would like to have seen there,” Hollie Garrison, SGA public relations director, said. “I would like to have had more people show up; we had six people who showed up out of the 7000 students on this campus.”
One of the major topics discussed was one concerning the SGA election commission idea brought about by the recreation center referendum. According to Jaret Hubbell, SGA president, in spring of 2002 the funding of a recreation center was voted on by the student body and failed. Later in spring 2002, the recreation center referendum was placed back on the ballot, and the SGA voted in favor of the referendum. Again last year, several students appealed the vote because of the tropical storm that had passed through at the time. After the SGA judicial board instated the recreation center referendum, several students and campus leaders raised the issue of possible bias the judicial board may have on its own performance and decision. Last year Alcie Maxwell, former SGA president, began to raise the debate on how best to prevent the conflict. After a semester of debate, the SGA election commission was proposed and was adopted to be placed on this semester’s ballot by the SGA senate.
During the first N.O.I.S.E. forum last week, the SGA officials discussed the need for the election commission and what its purpose would be. According to Hubbell, the election commission’s powers and duties would include administering, operating, supervising, enforcing and directing all student elections by guidelines set forth in the election code; setting dates for all general elections and tabulating the results of elections.
Another big issue discussed at the N.O.I.S.E. forum was the possible “no smoking policy.” According to Garrison, within the SGA there are two different resolutions to the smoking issue: no smoking in any area of any residence halls and designated smoking areas on campus or “smoking dorms.”
According to Garrison, if the SGA would pass the referendum for the “no smoking” policy, there would be no smoking in any of the halls. Students who have an opinion on whether the referendum should be passed should go to the SGA senate meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
A couple of students brought up the topic of speeding on campus. According to Garrison, two students told Judy Daniels that they had nearly been run over in the crosswalk several times, and although there are signs that tell drivers they are being monitored by radar, the students do not believe anyone is actually being monitored. Daniels assured the students that drivers on campus are being monitored and are being issued violations. Also according to Garrison, a student suggested putting up speed bumps in the crosswalks as a way to force drivers to slow down when approaching the crosswalks.
“The problem with (the speed bump idea) is clarifying whether Nicholls roads are the responsibility of he parish, state or the University,” Garrison said. “Everyone just goes around saying, ‘Well, they’re supposed to pay for that,’ and ‘No, they’re supposed to pay for that.’ It’s that sort of thing.”
Branching from the discussion of the speeding issue, the topic of whether city officials can issue citations to driving violators was broached. According to Garrison, it was said that the Thibodaux Police Department can and does issue speeding tickets on campus.
“We, as the SGA, are doing everything in our power and everything humanly possible to get students involved and to make them care about what we’re doing,” Garrison said.
Because the SGA exists for the students, the SGA needs students to vote. Students can vote in SGA elections online by attaining a PIN number from either their academic advisors or by visiting Ms. Elaine Musso, the SGA secretary, in the SGA area of the Student Union.
“I think (the N.O.I.S.E. forum) went well, but I just wish more people would have come,” Eugene Dial, vice president of student affairs, said. “I think it’s a great idea, and I would encourage the SGA to continue.” N.O.I.S.E. was held in an attempt to give students a chance to speak out in an informal setting not run by parliamentary procedure.
“Every full-time student who pays tuition pays five dollars to the SGA,” Garrison said. “You take that and multiply it by 7,500 and (the SGA) has over $35,000 of student money every semester. Why doesn’t anybody care that we have over $35,000 of student money to spend in any way we please?”