TL20041115_001 "Baltimore's #1 College Paper - Published Twice-Weekly - www.thetowerlight.com Monday, 11/15/04 Writers receive advice in field 5 Banquet simulates worldwide hunger 5 Fondue highlights Melting Pot menu Diner attracts late-night crowd Departments Opinion 2 News 5 PawPrints 8 Arts 13 Sound Bites 14 Backstage Pass. 15 Now Showing. 15 Sports 20 In this corner. 20 Face-Off. 18 Classifieds 16 SGA searching for identity After quiet beginning to fall semester SGA officers attempting to reach average student Sarah Breitenbach The Towerlight Student Government Association president Mark Schlosser says it's too soon to know what exactly his administration will achieve. """"It's still early in the year,"""" he said. """"[We don't know] what are we going to be known as, there hasn't been that one great thing."""" Schlosser cites accomplishments in line with his party's campaign platforms to be among strides the SGA has made since being elected in April. The Tiger Pride party ran against the 4 The Students party last spring with promises of enforcing TU's commitment to diversity, improving transportation and parking, establishing a strong relationship between the student body and SGA, increasing attendance at sporting events and continuing to increase campus safety. Schlosser said sending SGA senators to the University's diversity retreat in October, talking about a community bus service with University officials, distributing surveys, meeting with the athletics department and having a member of the TU Police Department at weekly SGA meetings are among things the group has done to accomplish these goals. Schlosser and SGA vice president Darcy Accardi note reaching the average student on campus is one of the more challenging factors for this year's SGA. """"I don't know if it's a big problem, but it's definitely something to look at,"""" Accardi said, """"because it is really easy to get feedback from people who are student leaders, who are already involved. That's one of our goals to get the campus more involved, which it is. Then you do have to look at just your average student."""" The group does what it calls """"tabling"""" on a routine basis to elicit feedback from students. The SGA has also surveyed students on topics Sigma Pi Bowl benefits Red Cross fund Lisa Johnson/The Towerlight Manju Freeman, a senior criminal justice major, slips as his flag is pulled off by Mike Alfone, a senior business major. Freeman's team """"Y'all Musta Forgot,"""" consisted primarily of members of Towson's former men's track team. A total of 12 organizations and groups participated in the Sigma Pi Bowl Saturday. ranging from tailgating policies to the quality of the Towson Web site. """"The problem with tabling is it's a good thing, but you get the same thing over and over,"""" Schlosser said. Both Schlosser and Accardi said their administration has been successful in increasing student attendance at sporting events. Early this semester the SGA rented several buses to transport """"That's one of our goals to get the campus more involved, which it is. Then you do have to look at just your average student."""" Darcy Accardi SGA vice president students to a football game at the University of Delaware. . The SGA has also opened up time at their weekly meeting for student groups to speak about activities and programs. Both Schlosser and Accardi mentioned a potential bus service that would run between campus and neighboring apartment complexes. However, this plan is just a discussion item at this time. Recently, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents released its Efficiency and Effectiveness report, designed to improve the System's operation. The report proposes modifying undergraduate degree programs to include no more than 120 credits, requiring 12 credits outside of traditional classroom experience and increasing faculty workload, among other items. As of Nov. 2 Schlosser said the SGA did not know what kind of stance it would take on the report. """"As a student I think we totally have to oppose it,"""" Schlosser said. See ISSUES, page 6 Today High 58 Low 37 Tuesday High 57 Low 36 Wednesday High 53 Low 39 Thursday High 55 Low 39 Friday High 57 Low 37"
