The Student Government Association conducted its first senate meeting Sept. 17 to discuss pivotal motions that will affect students throughout the fall and spring semesters.
The meeting began with a brief but detailed introduction to the new app UCAPD has been crafting: SAFE @ UCA.
The prototype consists of information accessible for the Conway and UCA police departments. Students will be able to use a feature called Friend Walk where they can have another friend or parent follow their moving GPS locator from start to end.
This will allow parents from across the state or friends from across campus witness their loved ones arrive to their desired location safely, or allow them to be actively aware if they don’t.
Captain Chris Bentley affirmed UCAPD’s goal to give students more security on campus. “Everywhere you go you’ll have a blue light in your pocket.”
Students can also send a call to emergency services, report anonymous tips, report Title IX sexual assaults or even submit a behavioral incident report for any person through the app.
Though the app is not currently available, the departments of UCAPD are in the process of bettering the program until it is available to release to the UCA community.
UCA Vote Everywhere ambassador Karlie Galarza put forth the organization’s goal of gaining SGA’s support for promoting student voting in the 2018 midterm elections. Galarza explained how the Vote Everywhere organization fears students miss out on the opportunity to vote because of conflicting class times, and how it advocates for allowing students more time to wait in the lengthy lines and not feel rushed to arrive at their next class exactly on time.
SGA Executive President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero said, “A major overarching goal of SGA is to get students and faculty more involved and more educated on the process of registering to vote. Of course, also making sure they are aware we have a polling center on campus during election day.”
The polling centers will be open to all students and faculty on election day, located in Donaghey Hall.
SGA also allotted time to speak on an imperative opportunity for all UCA students, Bear Boots on the Ground. The outreach program is known throughout the student body as a way to give back to different communities across the nation.
Their previous missions have taken students to cities like New Orleans and the Houston area to help communities after natural disasters.
Vice President of Finance Spencer Burton appealed to the senate to cap the support of Bear Boots on the Ground at $3,300. The money would be supplied by SGA’s reserve account, and Burton’s cap was accepted by the entirety of the committee.
Bear Boots on the Ground plans to organize either a trip to Fayetteville during fall break or local civic service opportunities.
