On Thursday, Jan. 25, Student Association (SA) held its second keynote presentation in Lynnwood Chapel.
The SA Keynote was started at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year to “directly address our peers and tell them what we have planned without having to cram it all into a pre-convo announcement,” said Gavin Finch, SA executive vice president and senior English major.
Phillip Warfield, SA president and senior history education major, opened the presentation by showcasing this semester’s upcoming social events, like the Winter Formal and the SA Talent Show.
Finch followed Warfield’s segment by presenting Senate updates like the introduction of Mental Health Week, Senate Surprise Day and new equipment in Talge exercise rooms. Brandon Beneche, managing editor of the Southern Accent and senior English major, and Armondi Stokes-Hicks, Studio 4109 director and senior film production major, provided updates on the Southern Accent and Studio 4109. The updates included a revamped newspaper design and upcoming themed articles for the Southern Accent and Studio 4109’s next two shows.
Warfield concluded SA’s part of the keynote event with updates on discounts from Dos Bros and Mojo Burrito, the Smile Initiative Phase II, Deep Sabbath and SA’s premier multicultural event, “This Is Us,” a multicultural performance night hosted by SA. “This is Us” will include performances, food and dress from the various cultures and countries represented at Southern.
“I thought it was implemented well,” said Braian Gomez, senior mass communication major. “I went before, but this time around was way better.”
To end the night, there were two final announcements pertaining to the student body. Jared Powrie, senior missions and computer science major, showcased the new eJoker, a digital upgrade to the traditional paperback Joker that includes the photos and contact information of those on campus. Powrie said that the eJoker will reduce waste and help the campus to become more digitally connected.
Marty Hamilton, associate vice president of finance, presented on the construction of the Bietz Student Center for Life. Plans include a slide, bringing back the Campus Kitchen and moving the Campus Shop into the new student center.
Dakota Bemis, junior accounting major, said, “I was happy to see that there is progress being made on the student center, but I was unhappy with some of the proposals that Senate mentioned that were being introduced this semester like adding a practice barber room to Talge, as well as a new air hockey table for the student center. I just feel that it is a waste of money.”