- Festivals, Debates, and Student Involvement with SNF Agora - Young Song
- Student Alumni Relationship Building through OneHop - Ryan Chou and Tim Huang
- First Reading: Student-Athlete Caucus Amendment and Bill - Passed
- Second Reading: Valentine’s Day Tabling Bill - Passed
- First Ever Major Fair, Student Involvement Fair, and more!
Convening Business
Young Song from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins, presented roles, activities, and opportunities for student involvement across the core pillars of discovery, design, and dialogue. The research foundation has multiple upcoming events, including:
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The 4th Annual Elijah E Cummings Democracy and Freedom Festival, which will be hosted at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on February 8th, 1-9pm. Lyft passes will be provided and there will be a raffle for two free tickets to any Rams Head Live concert. They are seeking volunteers from 12-8pm.
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A series of marquee debates in March about social media’s impact on democracy, alongside a co-sponsored debate on Sportswashing by the Foreign Affairs Symposium.
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Dialogue events with faith leaders and a talk from Russian investigative journalist and political scientist Yevgenia Albats to mark the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, with the intent for students to engage in dialogue in a meaningful way.
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Two information sessions with SNF Agora Faculty and Staff on Monday, January 29th from 12:30-1 PM and 1:15-1:45 PM to introduce the new Moral and Political Economy Major and Civic Life Minor.
Cabinet Reports
In the latest SGA meeting, President Ryan Chou welcomed everybody back on campus and announced the drafting of a semester-in-recap compilation document. Vice President Jackson Morris led discussions on initiatives with wider student impact, like working with the Office of Student Affairs to continue the President's Day holiday for the first time since COVID-19 and advocating for tuition reduction when the MSE and Student Center is closed. Secretary Amy Li is collaborating with the Sheridan Library for historical documentation and archival records of SGA. Treasurer Jenny Chen (jchen326@jhu.edu) aims to finalize semester allocations and noted that new student organizations can receive $150 worth of startup funding. Advisor Dr. Charles Norman also announced the Student Involvement Fair, which will take place on 2/2/24 from 2-5PM.
Non-legislative Business
Amani Benouardia, ‘27, was unanimously appointed as KSAS Academic Senator. Sean Kao, ‘26, was appointed as Co-Director of Publications. Madison Diaz, Calvin Jung, and Jeevika Setzer, ‘27, were appointed as Assistant Directors.
Student Body President Ryan Chou announced that the SGA Spring Retreat will occur at the Imagine Center on Feb 3, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, serving as an opportunity for members to connect with one another and collaborate on ideas they have. The plans were presented in full for review and feedback from meeting attendees. President Nasreen Naqvi proposed SGA Ice Skating Night to promote further team bonding. The SGA has also applied for the JHU Federal Credit Union’s T-Shirt Grant for such events.
President Chou and KSAS Senator Tim Huang conducted a survey on student-alumni relations in the Fall of 2023 to better understand undergraduate and alumni dynamics, and the impact of platforms like OneHop. OneHop connects alumni to current students for networking and mentoring. This survey, with over 364 responses, found most students prefer meetings with incentives and at locations closer to MSE. The results also found that many current Hopkins students don’t use OneHop; however, it is encouraged for building alumni relations. It is quite the underrated program, be sure to check out the OneHop website.
SGA plans to use the JHU Federal Credit Union’s grant for free T-shirts and merch designs, along with an event in the future to distribute these goods.
First Reading
Junior Senator Molly Kuzma introduced the Student-Athlete Caucus Amendment and Bill in the SGA, which will strengthen the ties between athletic organizations and SGA. The initiative intends to enhance student-athlete representation and support, whilst boosting school spirit and athlete visibility.
Second Reading
Chair of Programming Shalala Leny outlined the Valentine’s Day Tabling Bill, which will take place on the Breezeway and feature card making, candy, and a photo booth. The event's detailed breakdown sparked a lively discussion among members. Sophomore Class President Stone suggested streamlining the offerings, particularly questioning the popularity of a 'Just Married' photo concept. This led to a consideration of the demand for items like flowers. Mufasa raised concerns about volunteer diversity, noting that the same individuals often staff these events. A quick poll encouraged broader participation from the SGA. Following the addition of film photos and Valentine’s Day cards, the bill was unanimously approved.
Announcements
In order to encourage consistent and excellent participation in SGA affairs, President Nasreen Naqvi has been working to create a “Senator of the Week” award; a similar award, “SGA Member of the Week”, has also been requested for creation in the near future.
The first “Major Fair” will take place on February 16th, 1-5pm, at the Great Hall & Glass Pavilion. Over 30 majors will be represented, and refreshments and merch will be available. Like the Student Involvement Fair (SIF), but for majors, you can network and receive valuable advice from upperclassmen, faculty, and staff. Spread the word, and encourage freshmen and upperclassmen alike to attend - more details can be found on the JHU Hub.