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The Student News Site of Biola University

The Chimes

The Student News Site of Biola University

The Chimes

The Student News Site of Biola University

The Chimes

SGA Rundown: Two final votes to close the semester

SGA Rundown: Two final votes to close the semester
Senators decide to confirm the 1% each budget cut to SMB, SMU, SGA and Campus Engagement and next semester’s budget.
Sophia Silvester, Staff Writer May 3, 2020

The Student Government Association met for the last time on Thursday, closing the year with two votes. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING VOTE  Senators deliberated on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding allocation and the offer from the Student Media Board of $14,000 in exchange for not cutting its...

SGA Rundown: proposed budget cuts for SMU, SMB, SGA and Campus Engagement

SGA Rundown: proposed budget cuts for SMU, SMB, SGA and Campus Engagement
Senators vote on amendment proposal, push financial vote to next week and hear updates on the fall semester.
Sophia Silvester, Staff Writer April 24, 2020

The Student Government Association met on Thursday to hear from a representative from the Student Media Board and to vote on President Renee Waller’s proposal regarding the financial controller position. 1% PROPOSED CUT Journalism professor Michael Longinow visited the meeting to discuss the proposal...

SGA Rundown: Senators discuss constitutional amendment

SGA Rundown: Senators discuss constitutional amendment
Senators heard about a service opportunity and an internal proposal.
Sophia Silvester, Staff Writer April 17, 2020

Thursday’s Student Government Association meeting was held over Zoom, allowing senators to set a variety of creative backgrounds, from a picture of baby Yoda to the Golden Gate Bridge.  OPERATION GRATITUDE President Renee Waller opened the meeting by encouraging senators to participate in an at-home...

SGA Rundown: SGA considers expanding open hours, reviews student surveys

SGA Rundown: SGA considers expanding open hours, reviews student surveys
Senators also voted unanimously to keep the diversity coordinator position.
Ashley Grams, Deputy News Editor February 27, 2020

The meeting began by putting Student Government Association interns in the “hot seat” in order to get to know them better. The interns, freshman political science major Houston Reece and freshman nursing major Ashley Kroeker, answered questions about themselves from members of the senate.  Immediately...

Godwin/Ferguson elected SGA president and vice president

Keren Godwin (right) and Gretchen Ferguson (left) win the SGA election for president and vice president.
The two campaigned on the slogan, “Voice Your Heart.”
Brittany Ung, Sophia Silvester, and Andres Ramirez February 12, 2020

Student Government Association’s president and vice president for the 2020–2021 school year will be sophomore communication studies major Keren Godwin and sophomore public relations major Gretchen Ferguson.  GODWIN AND FERGUSON WIN Godwin and Ferguson were in the Alton and Lydia Lim Center for...

SGA Rundown: Merry Merry GRITmas and farm animal petting zoo

SGA Rundown: Merry Merry GRITmas and farm animal petting zoo
Senators voted on GRITmas and heard an internal proposal.
Maria Weyne, News Editor November 21, 2019

This week, senators received a visit from President Barry Corey before they dove into voting and proposals. Corey touched on the subject of having a direction as a leader, but not a sole focus, in hopes to encourage senators to keep pursuing a career in leadership.  A HOLLY JOLLY GRITMAS  Following...

SGA Rundown: GRITmas proposal, voting and financial caution

SGA Rundown: GRITmas proposal, voting and financial caution
Senators were informed of more financial challenges as they heard and voted on proposals.
Maria Weyne, News Editor November 14, 2019

Senators were cautioned by vice president of finance, human resources and technology Thomas Burgess to be wiser on how they are spending their personal dormitory budgets, as some cuts may be underway. Senators moved into voting and proposals and were informed their contingency will remain the same, currently...

SCORR conference almost didn’t get funded, here’s why.

SCORR is a 24 year tradition and the students and faculty are excited to continue the conversation on diversity.
SCORR’s new $4,865 proposal passed through an SGA senate majority vote last week.
Micah Kim, Managing Editor November 14, 2019

(This story was originally published in print on Nov. 14, 2019). Despite the long concerns of balancing the financials due to a decrease in the Student Government Association’s budget, SGA senators and Student Congress On Racial Reconciliation Conference directors came together and effectively passed...

Office of Financial Aid covers misplaced SGA scholarship funds

SGA's Vice president of finance, human resources and technology Thomas Burgess had to figure out what happened to SGA's missing scholarship funds.
SGA can now work with their full contingency.
Maria Weyne, News Editor October 31, 2019

This story was originally published in print on Oct. 31, as “SGA’s budget undergoes cuts due to internal miscommunication.” This story was updated at 3:10 p.m. with new information. As senators prepared to begin voting during last week’s senate meeting, vice president of finance, human resources...

SGA Rundown: Budget cuts and voting

SGA Rundown: Budget cuts and voting
Senators voted on proposals while juggling new financial challenges as their budget was cut by roughly $11,000.
Maria Weyne, News Editor October 24, 2019

This week, Student Government Association Vice President of Finance, Information Technology and Human Resources Thomas Burgess informed the senate that their budget had suffered an unexpected cut. The budget for this year originally sat at $30,000 but has dropped to $16,000 due to a misunderstanding...

SGA Rundown: Senators welcome next year’s SGA team

SGA Rundown: Senators welcome next year’s SGA team
Senators gather in Metzger Hall for a mock senate meeting to welcome new members.
Isabelle Thompson, Business Manager April 19, 2019

With only three weeks left of school, senators are in the midst of training next year’s elected representatives. Senators gathered in Metzger Hall for this week’s meeting, where they were later joined by next year’s team for a mock senate. Before the new senators arrived, this year’s team...