Andre Long
In Motion Staff Writer
While the 2016 U.S. presidential election may be far off in the distance, the 2015 Student Government Association election concluded with the return of some old faces and rising new ones. With it also comes new ideas and plans for the upcoming years that effect those within the College and those outside.
Photo Courtesy of Co-Curricular Activities
Twenty-eight FCSSGA representatives were also there on issues concerning LGBT issues and college textbook affordability. While in Tallahassee, members of the SGA, as well as Phi Theta Kappa, attended an annual awards ceremony where president Albro won “Rookie of the Year Award”, newly elected Vice President Michael Tirpak won the “Community Service Award” and PTK’s current President Melissa Diaz won the “All-Florida Academic Team Medal”. According to Daytona State College Co-Curricular Activities Supervisor Lori Lemoine, it was the “first time in several years the SGA has received statewide recognition.”
The SGA is also working with DSC’s Board of Trustees, as well as Interim President Dr. Thomas LoBasso, on bringing a legislative request to Governor Rick Scott for 2015. One of the top requests is a Student Service/Workforce-Transition building — estimated to cost over $20 million — at DSC to better help students transition from school to the work force. With the request includes a proposal to enhance online schooling in an effort to make the College number one in the nation, along with a new construction trade certificate program. The two requests are estimated to cost $900,000.
Tirpak, former secretary of SGA, as Vice President is working with the Rotaract Club and the Hug It Forward group towards helping build a two-room bottle school in Guatemala. Bottle schools are built using plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic trash. So far the vice president has raised $5,000 out of $13,000 needed to meet their goal and is still looking for support to help reach it.
With everything that the SGA is involved in, it still finds time to listen to student complaints and needs. Students such as Computer Science Major Michael Gadrim, who would like to see more events like the one held over Easter, which gave out free lunch vouchers to students. There were some complaints from the G.E.D program students, such as Steven Pyle, who feels the program does not have much of a curriculum. President Albro says it is definitely something he will look into. Now, with another year in service ahead of him, one of Albro’s main goals is “to look for representation on all other regional campuses.”