The faces behind SGA

3/13/08

By Ben Holbrook
Managing Editor


With a relative lack of knowledge about the role of SGA on campus, its two advisors work quietly behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly.

Brandon Buckley and Kate Murphy, advisors to SGA, are a driving force behind the club. Both advisors are required to be involved in the club as part of their residence hall director contracts.

Even with previous experience with organizations similar to SGA, both advisors still encounter problems, Buckley said. “I have a background heavily in student activities and student governments,” Buckley said. One of the biggest issues is getting the SGA group to understand the role that both advisors play, Buckley said. Another issue is with “people trusting our input,” Murphy said.

Another serious issue is the difficulties encountered with trying to increase awareness about SGA’s purpose, “it is an uphill battle to get information out there,” Murphy said.

As advisors, both Murphy and Buckley are there in order to interpret SGA’s constitution, take care of the nuts and bolts, and to “put out fires,” Murphy said. Murphy and Buckley also act as a sounding board for ideas from the group.

One advantage for SGA is the fact that “we have a lot of insight into the school,” Buckley said. “Ultimately we may offer different perspectives on issues,” Murphy said.

With three years of experience in SGA, both Buckley and Murphy have seen numerous changes including a more recent change to a unified system, which has increased the overall efficiency of SGA, Murphy said.

This year there is a larger variety of representatives, which generated much greater discussion, and consideration of the issues,” Murphy said. Both advisors like the new system but “I would like to get students to the point where they feel like it [the system] will succeed,” Buckley said.

Buckley and Murphy do not serve SGA exclusively, “we’re not just here for students but also for the community,” Buckley said. Buckley and Murphy have been involved in community-based programs such as a Santa fund, Oxfam, and a shelter walk.

“We’re here to support anyone in whatever they want to do,” Buckley said. Students are encouraged to drop by the SGA office and propose any ideas they have for something they would like to do either on the campus or off campus, Murphy said. Students are also welcome to voice any concerns that they may have.

Since neither Buckley nor Murphy will be advisors to SGA forever, both would like to see that after they leave, “we hope that we have instilled enough respect to do it [SGA] justice.”