SGA releases statement addressing protestors’ demands
Sandra Carlo reads a list of demands of Student Body President Paige Hungate.
Student Government Association released a statement Tuesday responding to demands put forward by students during a sit-in protest in the student government office known as Occupy SGA.
The sit-in, which took place May 10 and 11, was held to “call for accountability of student government officers,” according to the protest group’s Facebook event, following a university investigation of an alleged racially-charged incident by Student Body President Paige Hungate’s parents directed at Joseph Shepard, former student body president.
Cabinet members of student government began a series of diversity trainings this week, the statement said.
The statement said SGA members are taking steps “ensuring all members of the University go through diversity training.”
The statement also announced the upcoming launch of a program for WSU employees that will require attending a set number of “diversity-related events, training, seminars, and workshops.”
Among the demands addressed in the statement was a request for support of an independent LGBTQ center on campus.
According to the statement, Vice President of Student Affairs Teri Hall approved the addition of a full-time LGBTQ coordinator and a graduate student assistant last month.
New buildings on innovation campus are set to build single-occupancy restroom options in response to requests for gender-neutral restrooms, the statement said.
Student protesters also demanded that Hungate “step down temporarily until the investigation is closed due to the conflict of interest.”
Hungate said she would not step down from her role in a statement the day of the sit-in.
Jenna Farhat was the news editor of The Sunflower. Farhat majored in creative writing.
Kevin • May 25, 2017 at 9:08 am
How is the girl in the picture allowed to speak, when she is protesting with tape over her mouth saying she has been silenced? It’s like a hunger strike with free food.
Gender Neutral Shower Banner • May 24, 2017 at 8:31 pm
Is anyone with the Sunflower going to interview Andy Schlapp and ask why he made staff in the Heskett Center take down the Gender Neutral Shower banner over the renovated space in June 2016? The banner had been up since January 2015 and there were no complaints until Andy saw it.
Maybe Paige can ask that it be put back up immediately? Or Teri if this is a push. Gender. Neutral. Shower. They are just words. This is easy if you are sincere about making change.
Benjamin Loyd • May 24, 2017 at 4:01 pm
Everybody is looking to become a victim these days, somehow that is fashionable. Everyone has equal opportunities, quit making excuses for yourself. All of these snowflake demands these days are a joke.
Salty student • May 25, 2017 at 4:41 pm
Well apparently the snowflake demands got your attention, other wise you would not of commented.
You are correct in saying that everyone wants to be a victim, but yet we must not undermine real victims.
Bardo still has to go or change his mindset of a “research university with all around decision making”.
I would like to demand to know how 20000 students will fit on campus. I actually left wsu for ksu because I was put on a waitlist for all my classes, and I know many others who have done similar transfers. I went out of my way to find freshman tours and warned them there are not enough seats for you here. “Sorry seats taken”