The Daily O’Collegian

The Student Government Association is introducing new chair positions and programs for the fall today in the first Senate meeting of the school year.

Senators passed legislation April 18 to implement projects, including a recycling program on campus that will allow students to dispose of their paper, glass and plastic in an environmentally safe manner.

Michael Warren, SGA president and a political science senior, said SGA has opened a recycling chair position and appointed Cortney Timmons to oversee all the recycling duties and activities this fall and spring.

“[Timmons] recycled all the materials left over from Lights on Stillwater last week and took it to physical plant, so our program is already getting a head start,” Warren said.

The SGA also will work alongside Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the homeless.

Warren said a community relations chair will be involved with setting up the projects and planning service activities.

Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry that “seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness,” according to http://www.habitat.org/how/factsheet.aspx.

“Habitat has built more than 225,000 houses around the world providing more than 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.”

Warren said today’s meeting will involve in-depth goal setting for the semester and planning for an event occurring this semester.

“The event is a secret to everyone but the members of SGA,” Warren said. “No hints.”

Warren said the executive members of SGA held a retreat Friday to preview the business items that will be discussed in upcoming meetings.

“We will resume business [today] at the meeting, catching everyone up on all sides of SGA,” Warren said.

Warren said SGA is also working on a “Take a Kid to the Game” program that will take place sometime during the football season.

“This idea is still in the exploratory stages, and a chair has not yet been established,” Warren said.

SGA revamped the Web site over the summer, as well.

“The site is still osusga.com, but we have included downloadable applications for those who wish to get involved on campus and greater access to both student leaders and administration,” Warren said.

Justin Biassou, chairman of SGA Senate and an aviation sciences senior, said he and Warren have been in the SGA office, in the Student Union basement, almost every day this summer.

“We are in the process of running an election Web site that will allow for student groups to rent out or use for their office elections,” Biassou said.

Warren said the student groups will most likely use the site for opinion polls, like the poll given on the smoking ban this past spring.

Biassou said SGA last fall proposed a campus smoking ban that would go into effect in 2010.

“The OSU Board of Regents thought it would be a good idea to put the ban into effect in fall 2008,” Biassou said. “[The plan has] been finalized by the administration after looking at SGA’s plan and adding a few changes of their own.”

Biassou said another hot topic among SGA legislation is the upcoming installation of microphones and camera equipment throughout the Senate Chamber.

The Student Union will install the equipment for free via Student Union Director Mitch Gilcrease.

“We are going to video record Senate sessions and put them on the Web site,” Biassou said. “We’ll give a preview every week on Webcam by the next day after the meeting.”

Warren said SGA also is hosting student tailgating this fall thanks to a larger budget that will support three to six tailgates.

“A possible location may be in the Bennett parking lot, subject to finalization,” Warren said. “We will have live music playing.”

Tim Forman, SGA public relations chairman and advertising and sales senior, said the first tailgate will be 7 p.m. Friday at the women’s soccer game.

“SGA will have tents set up with about 200 free hotdogs and drinks in a fun pregame atmosphere,” Forman said.