SGA President Jonathan Sachs urged legislators to avoid complacency in his State of the SGA address last night, saying advocacy from all members of the group will be critical to resolving long-standing issues, including high tuition and textbook prices, in Annapolis next semester.
In his speech, Sachs lingered only briefly on the accomplishments of the Student Government Association at the middle point of his term, instead choosing to lay out his plan for the future and motivate his colleagues to continue to work hard throughout the second semester.
“I am not a big believer in looking to the past, and that was the hardest part of the speech for me to write,” Sachs explained after the address. “But we know what’s happened, it’s all about where we are going and what we can do with what we have left.”
Sachs harped on the need for the SGA members to continue to reach out to members of the university community, and the need for a larger, more comprehensive advocacy plan. He backed the idea up by promising to contribute $15,000 toward the creation of a new program that, according to Sachs, will help to mobilize students toward making a difference. He pointed to high textbook prices as an issue that can only be solved with a strong student voice.
“The opportunity to build this force is perfect,” Sachs stressed. “It’s crucial that we find ways for students to help.”
The plan to mobilize students focused on reaching out to the university’s new voters and having an increased presence in Annapolis and Washington. Sachs said he would provide grants to student groups looking to lobby in Annapolis.
He also proposed a “Spring Fling,” which would bring Art Attack, Maryland Day and other campus-wide events into a single week. Sachs said a community service component could also be built into the week-long celebration that calls on students to harness their skills in ways that benefit the community – for example, education majors could tutor at local schools.
While past SGA presidents have pushed state legislators to make pro-student decisions, such as agreeing to fund a tuition freeze, a $1 billion state deficit could make officials more hesitant to approve such a costly measure this year.
Sachs acknowledged all of his ideas would require hard work from the SGA and cooperation with other student groups. Working together, he said, is “100% crucial to the success of the programs.”
His goals for next semester are not insurmountable, he added.
“It’s completely realistic; I have been working toward this; there is nothing in there that we won’t accomplish,” Sachs said after the speech. “The Spring Fling is already being worked on, the advocacy efforts are going good. This is all here; this is all happening.”
The only success from this semester Sachs mentioned was registering voters and getting them to the poll for the presidential election.
“We challenged you all to get out the vote,” Sachs said. “We moved thousands of students to the polls – we did it.”
After applauding the members of the legislature for their work thus far, Sachs urged them to step up and fulfill their obligations as members of the SGA.
“It’s time for us to be leaders,” Sachs said during the meeting. “It’s time for us to do what we promised to do in the beginning. We all need to make sacrifices, but I believe in you.”
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