Issue date: 3/11/09 Section: Campus Life

Our current Student Government Association (SGA) President, Jessica Coley and current SGA Vice President Kristen Briggs, hosted Morgan's town hall meeting on March 4, 2009 in the University Student Center Theatre. The hostesses moderated the meeting and presented questions to the panel of Morgan faculty. The initial motive for the town hall meeting was to address the growing concerns students had about several issues that are occurring on campus. The illustrious panel of Morgan's staff included Mr. Acres Perry, Vice President of Student Affairs, Mr. William Carson, Director of the Center for Career Development, Mrs. T. Joan Robinson, Vice President of Academic Affairs on campus, Mr. Nigel Edwards Director of Financial Aid, Mr. Floyd Taliaferro III, Director of the New Student Center, Mrs. Moni Tenabe, Bursar for the entire university, Mr. Douglas Gwynn, Director of Residence Life and representatives from the Physical Plant and Technical Support.
The panel consisted of at least one member from most of the departments on campus, providing an adequate resource for every student's question. When asked about the minimal turn out of students at the meeting, Jasmine Curry, SGA Junior Class Senator gave her opinion. Curry states, "I think more students should have been here and I don't know if it's our [SGA's] fault or the students. The SGA put out flyers and tried to contact students on Facebook so I am wondering if we did not communicate well enough with the student body or if they just did not show up." The students that were in attendance raised many issues from the limited use of a meal plan to campus security. Issues were brought up about the canteen and why students cannot use their meal plan twice within one period if they did not use their meals earlier in the day. Another issue was the lack of security at Morgan View Apartments as well as Marble Hall Gardens. Students also wanted to know what can be done to beautify the campus during all the construction. One of the most pressing issues was the dorm room situation and why visitation is not extended for the students.
Student's reactions were generally cohesive when it came to the panel. Many were unhappy with the answers they received as a whole. Some felt it was a mockery because the panel of staff kept talking around the questions. Students felt there were rarely any concrete answers given in the meeting.
There was much information for students to receive from the event. Mr. Gwynn expressed that the gates in Morgan View and Marble Hall Gardens, whichever is preferred, will be fixed soon. There will also be food meetings taking place soon with the staff of the canteen and Rawlings Dining Hall to address the concerns of the students. The biggest news that may have come from the event is that there will be a phase three of Morgan View that will function as the current one. Additional news states that there will be no new dorms for the students on campus anytime soon. This will take three to four years to happen because they are in the designing phase of this project. For those students looking for internships, Mr. Carson spoke about how it is important to check your Morgan e-mail (Mymail account) and visit the Career Development Center to be able to find out about these opportunities. He also stated that the department just had a career fair on Feb. 23 and only 190 students showed up out of seven thousand who are not graduating. It is evident that there are many issues the students have with the Morgan faculty but they must attend events like the town hall meeting if they want change. There were roughly only twenty five students at this event. Students will complain all day long but will not attend the important meetings that are going to be proactive and make a change.

Continued...

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