Student Forum on Friday, Nov. 6.
@MUSTUDGOV / INSTAGRAM
Isaiah Minaz, Staff Writer
Manhattan University’s (MU) student government is working toward increasing student engagement and improving campus life through new events, student feedback and initiatives aimed at bringing the university community closer together.
With the fall semester underway, student government representatives are focusing on creating more opportunities for students to get involved on campus while ensuring their concerns and suggestions are heard.
For Allyson Haskins, a senior marketing and communication double major and the student government president, one of the organization’s biggest priorities is creating events that appeal to students from different areas of campus.
“In student government, we’re working on programming that connects all sectors of campus and are events each student wants to go to,” Haskins said.
Along with increasing student involvement, Haskins wants student government to develop a more organized structure. The goal is to make the transition into leadership easier for future members and help them better understand their responsibilities.
“We’re also trying to provide a more structured student government, so it’s easy for new people to move into student government positions and understand them each year,” Haskins said.
Students can also expect more chances to talk directly with their representatives throughout the semester. According to Haskins, student government holds interactive assemblies every other Wednesday, where students can voice concerns and get feedback.
“They can also experience an interactive assembly on bi-weekly Wednesdays where they can voice their concerns and get feedback right away,” Haskins said.
The emphasis on student feedback extends beyond the assemblies, as student government representatives are also working on initiatives that make campus life more welcoming and inclusive.
According to Jaden Espinal, a sophomore psychology major with a concentration in industrial/organizational psychology and the vice president of commuter affairs, the organization is focusing on events and campus improvements that encourage a stronger sense of community among students.
“We are currently working on events and tweaks to the campus that can make our community feel like a family,” Espinal said. “We’re relying a lot on feedback to make these improvements.”
Espinal also hopes to see more inclusive programming that brings together students from different clubs and sports teams, allowing them to interact with others outside of their usual social circles.
“I believe there will be more inclusive events that revolve either around clubs, sports teams, games and events,” Espinal said.
While some events are still being planned, Haskins told The Quadrangle that student government members, including assembly and executive board members, have more events coming up this semester. Students can find updates on the group’s Instagram account, @mustudgov, which also links to its GroupMe.
Looking ahead, Haskins emphasized that student government’s long-term goal is to create a campus environment where students feel encouraged to participate in university events and have a say in the activities being organized.
“We want to work to make school events things that students want to come to,” Haskins said. “We want to take feedback and criticism and everything in-between because this place is what you make of it and we want to make it the best it can be.”