SGA president push student participation

Student Government Association President Niiobli Armah stressed the importance of student participation in the annual State of the SGA address held Tuesday, Sept. 26 in the Lakefront Room of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union.
Armah’s address focused on student’s apathy when it comes to matters that affect them. He said students often gripe about things they do not like or things that need to be changed or improved, but never participate in any functions that are designed to do just that.
“Southern students need to step up and ask what can they do to change what’s happening on campus, and then they will begin to see a difference,” Armah said.
Armah also addressed the misconception that SGA is one separate entity and not the student body as a whole.
“SGA is only the middle body between the administration and the student body,” Armah said. “We are all students trying to graduate and we should all be working together to do what needs to be done on this campus.”
SGA Vice-President Deon Dorsett, who also addressed the student body, shared Armah’s theme of unity.
“‘You are SGA’ is the message this year,” Dorsett said. “Your problems are my problems and my problems are your problems, so we need to support each other.”
In his address, Armah also addressed student academic excellence.
Armah said one reason why students are not excelling academically is because university officials have stopped allowing socialization on campus.
“University officials have to start thinking about students academically, socially, financially and spiritually,” Armah said. “All these things make us total students, so when you start taking away things, we are not capable of becoming full students that will graduate.”