Constitution limits votes to members. The student body votes for Student Government Association general members in the fall. Only active members vote for officers in the spring.

April 19, 2012

By Josh Oldham | Ranger Reporter

 

Courtesy of SGA

ON APRIL 25, the Student Government Association will conduct an election for several club officer positions. The candidates will be elected from the ranks of the SGA.

The SGA’s primary function, according to its constitution, is to “provide student development and student activity programming, to act on behalf of the Amarillo College student body, to represent the Amarillo College student body to the College administration and to engage in service to the community.”

In the upcoming election, four positions will be decided.

“The elected positions are the president, vice president, secretary and parliamentary positions,” said SGA President Anthony Najar.

Najar said the regional representative position for the Texas Junior College Student Government Association usually also would be available but that members already have voted on the position.

While the names of the positions in the election are available, there is no definite answer as to who will be running for what.

“Any of our members now are allowed to run for positions next year,” said SGA Secretary Bryce Robertson. “Not everyone has turned in their stuff to run yet.”

While the aforementioned positions are the only elected positions to be voted on this semester, they are not the only positions to be filled.

“The new board members and the outgoing choose the committee chairs,” Najar said.

The election is not open to the student body at large. Only general members of the SGA will vote on the positions.

“If you’re not already a member of student government, you won’t know much about the positions or their responsibilities,” said Adam Nixon, SGA treasurer.

Najar said the current system has

been put in place to save time and effort on behalf of the student body.

The methods for the election of the general members and the board members are outlined in the SGA’s Constitution and Bylaws.

Those bylaws have to be ratified by the student body.

“The student body is voting for representatives as a whole,” Najar said, referring to the elections for general members that are conducted during the fall semester.

“It’s like Congress,” Robertson said. “The people vote in their representatives, the representatives vote for the Speaker.”

Should anyone wish to participate in the board elections, membership in the SGA is a must.

In order to become a general member, a few requirements must be met.

“They have to attend three general meetings,” Nixon said, “The meetings are Wednesday at noon. They have to fill out an application to be a member of student government.”

Nixon said he encourages everyone to take part in SGA.

Najar added that a requirement to retain the position of general member is to attend one general meeting and one committee a week.

For those who cannot make that commitment because of time issues but still want to be involved with SGA, there is an alternative, according to the president.

“We have an associate member position, though they can’t vote,” Najar said.

The SGA is open to anyone who would like to try for membership.

“We need people who are willing to be leaders, to be led, and I guess people who are creative,” Robertson said.

Whether as a board, general or associate member, students who get involved with the SGA are certain to get a better look at the internal workings of AC.

“Anybody who would like to have more input with the elections or AC issues in general should get more involved with the SGA,” Najar said.

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