SGA Rundown: Guest speakers inform senators

During this week’s senate meeting, three guest speakers came to speak to senators.

Isabelle Thompson, Business Manager • April 4, 2019

SGA Rundown: Guest speakers inform senators

Photo courtesy of Photo Courtesy of Biola University

With no further external proposals on the horizon, the Student Government Association enjoyed a break from their usual routine by welcoming three guest speakers to talk at this week’s senate meeting.

CONTINGENCY BUDGET

Assistant dean of Community Life and faculty advisor Laura Igram visited the senate to provide senators with information concerning the contingency funds. According to Igram, the contingency funds are accumulated from year to year from excess money that was not spent. For instance, the money saved when senators do not work full hours typically rolls over to the next year’s SGA contingency budget. The contingency funds have built up over several years, totaling around $75,000 at the start of the school year.

Igram continued to say that this year’s SGA has spent more than the teams in the past, expressing encouragement for putting the funds to good use, but also warning of its effect on future senators. The funds currently stand at $6,339 with a $1,500 buffer. According to Igram, the contingency budget will be much lower from now on, ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 a year.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Vice president of diversity and senior sociology major Mindy Kim introduced the next speaker, intercultural education and research adjunct lecturer Walter Augustine. Augustine led a discussion about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. He introduced the idea of the tale of the tape, which is used to display advantages and disadvantages when it comes to sports such as mixed martial arts and boxing. The senators were then instructed by Augustine to make a tale of the tape for the exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Augustine used this parallel to show how Jesus could have used his upper hand in order to intimidate the women, who was considered to have a lower social standing, but instead he met her where she was through love.

SAFETY UPDATES

The last speaker of the day was Campus Safety Chief John Ojeisekhoba. Ojeisekhoba provided senators with a brief overview of his recent trip to Grand Canyon University and Brigham Young University, where he worked with security teams to strategize about how to improve safety measures. He was also selected to represent campus safety at Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., where he provided input on how to improve law enforcement and spoke directly to Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Ojeisekhoba also provided a recap of past security projects. For instance, the fencing project to help protect lower campus was completed last summer. Since this project, there has been significantly less crime on campus, according to the Chief. However, he says he continues to be proactive in the implementation of security measures.

Currently, Ojeisekhoba is working to improve the emergency response team initiatives. Revision of the emergency response team guidebook as well as campus medical response preparedness are a priority. These initiatives will help safety staff be prepared for any catastrophes that may occur, such as an active shooter or major earthquake. A three-year security plan has been set in place that will work in conjunction with the Health Center. With the help of SGA, Ojeisekhoba hopes to provide students with CPR training. He also introduced and AED & Stop the Bleed program, which will put emergency care packages in various locations on campus for the event of a serious injury.

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About the Contributor

Isabelle Thompson, Business Manager

Isabelle Thompson is a senior business marketing major who enjoys gloomy weather, reading and national parks. She is also an advocate for adventure and trying new things. Good literature has always been a source of inspiration for me. Through the years I have become influenced by authors ranging from Jane Austin, Mark Twain and Scott Fitzgerald to more modern writers including Andy Weir and Stephen Chobsky. Each story I have come across has had a role in shaping the way I see the world and who I am today. It was my love of writing and storytelling which drew me to the position of News Editor at The Chimes my sophomore year. Through that experience I learned the skills necessary to produce consistent, factual and engaging stories that informed and documented events that impacted my immediate community. It was a new kind of storytelling for me which came with the responsibility of doing justice to the very real themes and lives portrayed. Coming back to The Chimes as a senior business marketing major, I feel lucky to have the position of business manager. While I will be taking a step back from writing, I am excited to be surrounded by excellent storytellers and support the publication in a way that aligns with my goals for a career in business.