Welcome back, Shockers! I hope your break was enjoyable and you’re ready to tackle the new semester.

I want to dedicate this letter to recapping some of the major initiatives accomplished by your student government last semester. I’m also going to give you a snapshot of what to expect from student government in the spring semester.

One of the major initiatives I supported last year, along with the Student Senate, was the promotion of sexual assault awareness on campus. In light of the increasing national focus on this important issue, student government sponsored the “It’s On Us” campaign, an initiative created by the White House.

The Community Psychology Association at WSU has been actively involved in researching the issue to ensure that our university is doing its best in preventing any occurrence of sexual assault. I was excited to have the group present its research overview at one of our senate meetings, where they were recognized with a resolution applauding and supporting the group’s work.

Last semester, Student Senate also passed a resolution in support of the research efforts of the Tobacco-Free Wu and Me group, in its aim to pursue a tobacco-free policy on campus. The group, comprised of students, faculty and staff, has received a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation in support of its continued research.

The goal of this project is to gain feedback from all demographics on campus to create the best policy proposal to be submitted to President John Bardo for consideration. While this initiative might seem new and bold for WSU, hundreds of universities across the country have already adopted similar policies, and we would like to see WSU move in a healthier, more environmentally-friendly direction.

The proposal would include cessation courses to help people interested in quitting tobacco use, in addition to best practices for how to implement a tobacco-free campus.

My goal of creating an Interfaith Prayer Space on campus is moving along, as we have received a quote of $4,400 to refurbish the Grace Memorial Chapel to become a flexible, faith-neutral area for worship and meditation. The next step is to achieve the funding and gain support from the administration for the renovation. Several university organizations from diverse faith backgrounds have been supporting the initiative.  

Student Senate also approved funding in support of sponsoring the award-winning LGBT advocate and actress, Laverne Cox, to speak at WSU this spring. I gave my complete support for this initiative as I believe it will help educate our community in areas of diversity and inclusion at the most diverse campus in the state. We also approved thousands of dollars to support individuals’ and student organizations’ travel to conferences to represent the university and showcase their skills and achievements.

Additionally, we have created the chief of staff position that has been very successful in allocating the tasks of the executive branch more effectively and efficiently.

Our student government has been actively involved at the monthly Kansas Board of Regents meetings. One of my goals has been to take more student senators to the meetings to express our seriousness and professionalism in expressing the student voice.

This spring, student government will be participating in the annual Higher Education Day Feb. 10, where we will head to the Capitol in Topeka with the other student governments across Kansas to advocate for student issues including: medical amnesty, tax rebates on textbooks and maintaining levels of higher education funding given our state’s current fiscal outlook. I have enjoyed attending this event for the past three years and am excited for our delegation’s opportunity to advocate for our student body at the state level.

The spring semester also means the annual review and allocation of our student fee dollars. The Student Fees Committee is comprised of a majority of student voting representatives and will convene in February to decide the budget to be proposed to Student Senate for approval. Last year’s budget was around $9.5 million, which includes funding for major items like the RSC, Campus Recreation, Health Services and Counseling and Testing, among several other important student resources. The meetings are open to the public, and the hearing dates will be published on our social media pages.

Lastly, the spring semester would not be complete without the student government elections. My goal for this year’s elections is to increase voter turnout through more awareness and education on the relevance of student government.

As I just mentioned, it is your elected fellow students who determine how millions of dollars in student fees are allocated. Last year’s voter turnout was a dismal around 5 percent of the student body, and my goal is to at least double that number. Believe me, every vote counts.

The elections will be held the first week of April, with transitions and installment of newly- elected positions in the following weeks.

Seeing as how this is probably my longest letter, I’ll stop here. Stay tuned for future bimonthly letters on our progress this semester. You can reach me at [email protected] or 978-7060.

­—Matthew Conklin, Student Body President