To increase student turnout, student government held a meet and greet for students to meet the 2023-2024 Executive Officers and Senators. 

“Please join us for our general body meeting on November 8th at 6:30 pm in the Arcola Tuscola Room of the MLK Union. You will have the opportunity to learn about Student Government and chat with your fellow student senators and executive members,” read the event description on the Student Government’s Instagram. 

 The meeting also had a raffle for an Apple Watch.  

 Students who brought two canned goods were immediately entered into the raffle. Students who did not bring a donation were given a bingo card.
 In the boxes on the cards were phrases that related to the Executive Board members. For students to enter the raffle, they had to talk to the student senate members and have them sign the box they related to. 

“…We are the government of the student body, so I feel like it important for students to know who we ares” said Speaker of the Senate Karolina Guzek. “So I think a meet and greet is a good way to promote visibility and get students to know what we’re all about.” 

 Payton Hayes won the Apple Watch during the announcement portion of the agenda. 

 When the time came for audience participation during the general body meeting, the Dean of Student Success, Mona Davenport, gave a presentation on student success resources. 

She explained the benefits that come with utilizing resources on campus like the Academic Success Center, tutoring and academic support offered by the Gregg Technology Center and online tutoring available for all students that attend Eastern through the KNACK app.
Davenport also mentioned that any student with a B or above in any class can become a student tutor for that class through the KNACK app starting at $15 per hour.

Internal Affairs member Ameenah Morris gave out Senate Star awards to the student senate members to end the night. 

“As Internal Affairs we’re supposed to be like more bonding everyone in SGA and make sure that everybody gets to know each other pretty well,” Morris said. “So I was like, let me give out some awards and some gift cards to make everybody come on to these meetings because we’ve been having some people fall out.” 

Guzek was happy with the success of the event once everything concluded.
“It was a great turnout, we had great reports, a really great presentation,” Guzek said. “I’m glad that the student body got to learn more about what student Government does.” 

 Alexis Moore-Jones can be reached at 581-2812 or at admoorejones@eiu.edu.