WVU Parkersburg’s SGA Update

By Leah Carpenter

As WVU Parkersburg finishes  the Fall 2017 semester, the Student Government Association closes a semester of a variety of activities throughout the campus.

 

To begin the semester, the SGA held a Club and Organizations Fair according to SGA President William Bell. The fair allowed students to explore the options of clubs and organizations and what each of them offer to students throughout the campus community.

 

The SGA partnered with the Red Cross in the Parkersburg area to provide a Blood Drive on campus, as well as a Candidate Forum for local legislative candidates.

 

A change war was also provided throughout the WVU Parkersburg campus for students to support. “We have also been holding the ongoing ‘Change War,’ which will benefit the Veterans Resource Center,” Bell said.

 

Assisting with the Literacy Association and the Foundation of the college, the SGA partook in the Book Fair and the PopCon event on campus. The book fair raised money for graduating education majors, as well as the organization.

 

“SGA members also volunteered with the Foundation with their PopCon event,” Bell said.

 

For students in the upcoming spring semester, Bell said students can look forward to Relay for Life in April and a “roast” for himself to honor Bell’s last semester as the president of SGA.

 

The money raised from each event will be donated to the American Cancer Society. “They chose to do this in my honor of finishing my time being the longest-serving SGA President in school history,” Bell said.

 

To give back to the community, the SGA has worked with the Salvation Army, Family Crisis Intervention Center and the American Cancer Society. “Our partnerships evolved from SGA members simply having ideas to give back to the community,”  Bell said.

 

To represent WVU Parkersburg, Bell is also Chair of the Advisory Council of Students. As Chair, Bell works with the WV Community and Technical College System (CTCS) and WV Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) in matters of student advocacy on a state level. He will be presenting for the legislative committee on Dec. 6.  “Issues I will address are constant tuition increases and budget cuts to higher education,” Bell said.

 

The SGA is reachable at the SGA office and welcomes students to visit and discuss matters of WVU Parkersburg with them. “At WVU Parkersburg, I always have an ‘open door’s policy, and welcome student feedback and concerns so that I can address them,” Bell said.