SGA discusses yearbooks, Last Lecture

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

In this week’s meeting the Student Government Association the SGA discussed the following activities and events: yearbook, last lecture, recycling and teacher/faculty of the year.

For this year’s yearbook students may have the option to have either a regular hardback copy  or a digital copy of the yearbook. The digital copy will be available online and it is   to be announced if a disc will given with that as well. Other details of the online version are unknown as of now. The hardback copy is the general format of what students would usually expect in a yearbook.

According to the SGA, it would help if students would give their feedback and give their opinion   on which version they would prefer.

Also Last Lecture, which is when a teacher or faculty member gives a lecture as if it were their last will return after spring break. Louisa Franklin, director of the Academic Success Center Director will be giving the next lecture. ,

In further news, every year a ballot box is placed the cafeteria for students  to vote for the best teacher. This year there will be one for best teacher and best faculty member.  The ballot box will go up in the dining hall at some point after spring break. The winner of the election will receive a plaque to commemorate their contribution to YHC.

Last semester SGA began a temporary recycling pick up by paying organizations to pick up the recycled trash until the school could find a more permanent means of taking care of recycling. This is still going on. if Any student organizations interested in taking on this task should contact SGA for further information and instructions.

SGA meets every week in the Rollins dining hall at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. It is a public meeting and everyone is welcomed to join.

 

SGA discusses hammocks, AP credit

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

At today’s weekly meeting the Student Government Association discussed the hammocks, the advanced placement credit proposal and Tell-Me-Tuesday.

In the fall semester of 2010, SGA purchased hammocks for the students to rent from the recreation center. The hammocks were ordered and should arrive to campus today. But, before SGA makes them available for student use, the hammocks need to be embroidered to differentiate SGA’s hammocks from other student-owned hammocks.

The student development committee within SGA is working on ways to take student suggestions from Tell-Me-Tuesday and put them into action. Some suggestions included more rock climbing wall hours, more weekend activities and more ATM’s around campus. Tell-Me-Tuesday was started last semester as a way for SGA to reach out to students to get campus feedback. On the select Tuesdays an SGA member will offer students a ride on one of the golf carts. During this ride they would ask what changes the students would like see at YHC. The SGA representatives review the answers to see how they could make these suggestions reality.

Last week SGA made plans to discuss the details regarding an advance placement credit proposal. Advanced placement credit can be gained from scoring well in an advanced placement-level course. AP courses are taken during high school and are geared towards college-level thinking and writing from high school students. At the end of an AP course, a standardized test for the class’s subject matter is given. Students can score anywhere from a one to a five, with five being the highest. After researching AP credit policies at other colleges, SGA found that four out of five schools accepted scores of three or higher. YHC accepts scores of four or higher. SGA is  continuing to review its research on AP credit in order to decide the details of the proposal.

SGA holds a weekly public meeting on Wednesday’s at 5:30 p.m. in the dining hall.

SGA appoints treasurer, plans scavenger hunt

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

Today at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria SGA held its weekly meeting. They discussed a new treasurer, the scavenger hunt, new members and the Last Lecture Series.

In the meeting former SGA treasurer Megan Shook had to resign her seat as Treasurer due to work load and scheduling conflicts. The other SGA members applauded her for her efforts during her time with them. Bekah Herum, a freshman from Blairsville, has been appointed as the new SGA treasurer, and if Herum decides to continue holding office, she will be sworn in next week as SGA Treasurer.

SGA’s Academic Affairs subcommittee will be holding a campus wide scavenger hunt on Thursday January 27, in the Plaza. The scavenger hunt will be held as part of YHC’s 125th anniversary activities. Young Harris students who wants to participate should come to the Plaza at 4:15 on Thursday. There will be $20 gas gift cards given to the top five first place winners. Students can sign up in groups of five to compete.

If any juniors would like to become an SGA member there is a seat open. Students interested in filling this vacancy should attend a meeting and speak with SGA President Matthew Kammerer about being an official member of SGA.

There is another Last Lecture which is when a selected speaker gives a speech on whatever they would want to say if it where to be the last lecture they ever gave. It will be on Thursday January 27, at 7 p.m.in the Wilson Lecture Hall. The lecture will feature Reverend “Rev” Fred Whitley, who served the campus minister until 2008.

SGA weekly meetings are held in the dining hall on Wednesdays at 5:30, and they are open to the public.

SGA plans to continue Tell-Me-Tuesday

By Carmen Brwon, Staff Writer

Student Government Association had their weekly 5:30 p.m. meeting in the cafeteria on Wednesday. This week, they discussed Tell-Me-Tuesday, student accomplishment sheets and Student Council applications.

Tell-Me-Tuesday is when a SGA representative will give a random student a ride in one of the golf carts from an academic building to the cafeteria. During the ride, students will be asked about the changes they would like to see on campus. This will continue this semester and the schedule will be posted at a later date.

When asked what about Tell-Me-Tuesday, Sharon Lamb a  junior history major from Clayton, said “I can’t wait for them to start that again. I would get so excited to see if I would have a chance to get a ride.”

Also, if anyone is interested in joining Student Council or becoming a Resident Assistant there are applications in the student development office, which is located in the top floor of the Pruitt Building.

SGA has put together accomplishments sheets, which list SGA’s accomplishments throughout the year. SGA has made these as a way to help students be aware of what is going on in their student government. These can be found in the entrance of the cafeteria.

SGA meetings are held weekly on Wednesdays in the cafeteria at 5:30. All students are welcome to attend.

SGA talks snow

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

The Student Government Association had their first public, weekly meeting of the 2011 Spring semester. In this meeting they discussed things such as the ice on the sidewalks, an extension for Drop/Add Week, Last Lecture Series and Freshman Forgiveness.

Due to the weather conditions, classes began a day and a half late this semester; and with snow and ice lingering throughout campus, there was concern from students over slipping on the ice on their way to and from classes.

SGA President Matthew Kammerer spoke with the grounds staff about this potential hazard.

Throughout the day the grounds staff salted and used all of the manpower that they could spare to make the campus safer to walk through; and while some icy spots remain around campus, several walkways have been cleared, such as the walkway from the cafeteria to Goolsby Lecture Hall.

While the ice problem is still present, SGA will be working on ways to make it safer for students.

Also, the Academic Affairs subcommittee in SGA is working to get Drop/Add Week extended through next week. Drop/Add Week is a chance for students to make changes to their schedule by dropping or adding classes. Because of the weather delay, SGA was able to get Drop/Add Week extended until next Wednesday.

Among other SGA news, the Last Lecture Series will be coming back to YHC this semester. This series features a YHC staff member that gives a presentation on any topic if it was their last lecture. The next Last Lecture is scheduled for January 20. The speaker will be announced at a later date.

Freshman Forgiveness has been enacted as of this semester. Despite the name ‘Freshman Forgiveness’ this opportunity is open to any student who receives a D or an F in a class and wishes to retake the course.  Freshman Forgiveness can apply to any course you take, but pick these courses carefully, since you can only retake two classes for the entire time that you attend YHC.

SGA meets weekly in the dining hall on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. All students are welcome to attend.

SGA talks foreign languages and Helping Hands

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Student Government Association held their weekly meeting in the Recreation and Fitness Center. On the agenda for this meeting was a new study abroad program, parking regulations and Helping Hands can drive.

Leading the discussion about the study abroad program was Dr. Diana Santiago, the foreign language chair. Santiago gave a presentation concerning foreign language at Young Harris College. Currently, the foreign language department has submitted foreign language minors for approval. In the future, the foreign language department hopes to get foreign language majors as well. As of now the only foreign languages offered at YHC all are Spanish and French.

To bolster the foreign language department, YHC is working on the option for students to attend a study abroad program at the University of Barcelona in Spain or the University of Nice in France.  As of now, YHC attorneys are reviewing the paper work for the program. Once the memorandums are approved, students can begin their study abroad course through YHC. However, because the program is still in its infancy, the first trial of the program will take place during the summer and will only last a few weeks. Students interested in studying abroad should contact Dr. Santiago in the foreign language department.

Students should also be aware that foreign language placement tests are available for students to take. This test determines the level of proficiency that a student has in a foreign language; and, based on the test, students can know which course they should register for. Though the test serves as a gauge for language proficiency, students can ultimately choose whether to take a lower level course or upper level course, based on their score and a recommendation from the foreign language department.

Among other topics, SGA discussed students’ questions and confusion concerning parking regulations. Many students are confused about which parking lots are available for student parking. To deal with this issue, SGA has formed a subcommittee to research this issue.

While working to solve the parking dilemma, SGA is also encouraging students to participate in the Helping Hands can drive, which is a program where students can donate canned foods and give donations to help less fortunate families. Students can drop off their donations either in designated locations around campus or in their residence hall. Proceeds from the event will help provide less fortunate families with canned goods and donations for Thanksgiving. The drive will continue collecting cans and donations from students until Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. Sudexo will give a catered meal to the winning dorm.

While next week’s SGA meeting is cancelled, further discussion of these and other topics will continue after Thanksgiving break.

SGA talks technology and TellmeTuesday

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

SGA held their weekly meeting in the dining hall. On the agenda for this meeting was a presentation from the Vice President of Campus Technology or I-Tech and the final dates of the semester for TellMeTuesday.

Ken Faneuff, the vice president for campus technology, spoke to SGA. Faneuff spoke about campus concerns with technology.

One concern was the inconsistency behind Moodle. Currently, not every professor is using Moodle. This is due to the lack of time for professors to get acquainted with this new program and to understand how to incorporate the program into the course.

Another concern was the size of student e-mail inboxes. In the next two weeks the size of the student inboxes will be increased from 25 megabytes to 100 megabytes. As a result, there will not be any noticeable changes, except that students will not have to delete their e-mails as frequently.

For extra security, Faneuff said that provisions have been made so that student passwords can be changed. Once in place, students must change their passwords every 90 days. Students may add to their current password or change it completely.

Campus technology, discussed their role in dealing with computer viruses. Many students are unaware of I-Tech’s ability to help students eradicating computer viruses. Instead of a student buying expensive software to fight off these viruses, students can bring their computers by the office when student computers are facing these problems.
If anyone has questions, concerns or just needs help from I-Tech they can dial x5212, e-mail them at helpdesk@yhc.edu or go by the I-Tech office.

TellMeTuesday is an opportunity for students to give feedback to SGA members on ways to improve campus. The remaining dates for TellMeTuesdays are Nov. 9 and 30.

SGA discusses clocks, blackout

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

At 5: 30 p.m. on Wed. Oct. 27, SGA had their weekly meeting. The agenda for this week’s meeting included an update for the campus-wide blackout, a set time for all clocks on campus, student checks and the status on the hammocks that SGA ordered earlier in the semester.

As discussed at last week’s meeting, the campus-wide blackout will be held on Fri. Nov. 19 from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the following day. The campus-wide blackout is scheduled as a part of Sustainability Awareness Day. This day focuses on raising awareness on the benefits of green energy and how people can reduce the amount of energy they consume.

As a part of Sustainability Awareness Day, SGA and the sustainability committee at Young Harris College have organized the campus-wide blackout. To encourage students to participate in the event, sustainability members will be coming door-to-door to hand out prizes to students taking part in the event. Some of the prizes include t-shirts, reusable coffee mugs and pens.

In addition to solidifying the plans for the campus-wide blackout, SGA also discussed the possibility to have all the clocks on campus set to the same time. This topic was brought up due to the reoccurring confusion surrounding each clock’s time. This inconsistency has caused confusion for students and professors about class times.

Adding to campus confusion is the fact that there are no clocks in the cafeteria. SGA argued that having clocks in the cafeteria would be helpful to have during times when students and faculty are eating in the cafeteria and have a class to go to soon after they finish their meal. Though the topic was discussed, no final decisions have been made about the issue; however, SGA is putting research together. So far, SGA is thinking about hanging up analog clocks in the cafeteria.

Among other topics, SGA mentioned that students will be able to bring their checks to the Student Development Office next semester. From there, students could have their checks deposited directly into their bank account and available for use on their debit card. More information about student check options will be coming soon.

Earlier in the semester, SGA decided to purchase hammocks for student use. Though the hammocks have been ordered, they are currently not on campus as the company is out of the color requested.

SGA meets weekly in the dining hall at 5:30 p.m. All students are welcome to attend.

SGA: lights out to save

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

On Wed. Oct. 20, SGA held their weekly meeting in the dining hall. Among the topics of discussion were the results and future plans for TellMeTuesday. Also on the agenda, were plans for a campus-wide blackout to preserve electricity.

Through a campus-wide blackout, the sustainability committee will be able to engage the student body in its green efforts. Conserving electricity is a big problem that goes unnoticed by most students, so the sustainability committee on campus would like to put together a campus wide blackout in the efforts promote awareness and preserve energy. According to the Energy Information Administration, the average United States residence uses 11,040 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. By conserving electricity, students can make this campus ‘greener.’ This event is currently scheduled to take place on Nov. 19 from 8 a.m. to 8a.m. on Nov. 20. Those who participate would turn off all lights and refrain from using electricity. As incentive for participating, sustainability members will come door to door and give prizes to the participants in the event.

Among other news, TellMeTuesday, which is an opportunity for student feedback, continues to be a success. It will be held every other Tuesday. The next opportunity to participate in TellMeTuesday will be on Tues. Nov. 2.

 

SGA shown plans for new campus center

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

On October 13, SGA’s weekly meeting was moved to Wilson Lecture Hall, which is located on the top floor in the Goolsby building.

There, Young Harris College President Cathy Cox gave a special presentation on the campus center project.  Young Harris College is planning to give students a brand new student center or campus center with a library and many other things all within this one new building.

As of right now, they are just approaching the completion of the construction plans and design phase. After the finances, construction plans and everything else is finalized, it will take a little over a year for the campus center to be built.

The new campus center will have enough space for everyone on campus to enjoy the space without feeling overcrowded.

Early plans for the campus center show that there will be something for everyone. On the lowest level there will be a game room, café and television lounge. Plans for the building indicate that the advising center, academic success center, QEP center and the writing center will all be moved to the second floor of the new campus center.  And, on the third floor there will be a room for banquets, the spring formal, special events and student clubs. Like the other buildings on campus, this building will be key card accessed.

Along with many expanded features, the student center will be getting a new name as well.

“We’re calling it the campus center because we believe this is where the center of student socialization on campus will be,” explained Cox.

YHC estimates that the total cost for the project will be $46.5 million. A gift of $20 million dollars has been asked for.  If the amount of $20 million received, it will hopefully bring other gifts of various dollar amounts to help with the remainder of the cost for this construction project.

Among other news, Tell-Me-Tuesday was a success this week and it will be happening again next week on Tuesday, October 19, so come prepared for questions and be sure to look for the cart.