Oklahoma Christian University’s Student Government Association is using its office budget to invest in materials to make its office more inviting to students.
Freshman Alexa Lewis said the SGA office is daunting to her.
“I just think it’s super intimidating because I don’t know anyone in there,” Lewis said. “It just feels off-limits in some ways.”
In order to appeal to more students, SGA used its office budget – 2 percent of the total SGA budget – to purchase pour-over coffee materials, which cost approximately $280 instead of a traditional Keurig or coffee pot brewing system.
“They felt like pour-over coffee is a hot thing right now,” McElroy said. “Even though it’s a little more expensive, they thought it would be worth it to draw people in and make them feel excited about being in there and feel welcome.”
With the new pour-over materials Lewis said she might go into the SGA office more.
“I still find it super intimidating,” Lewis said. “But I might go in there for coffee.”
SGA Vice President Ben McCoy said that the pour-over coffee system will bring more students into the SGA office.
“The pour-over is really good coffee,” McCoy said. “They’re always kind of intrigued by it, and we want people to come in the office.”
McCoy said he has a rule for whenever he makes himself a cup of coffee.
“Every time I make coffee and someone else is in here, or I’ll just grab someone from outside, but if I make a cup I’m going to make a cup for the students,” McCoy said.
McElroy said that although she was unsure of investing in the pour-over system, it has been successful at drawing attention.
“I was a little skeptical it would be that big of a draw,” McElroy said. “And I have been shocked at how may people get beside themselves excited when they find out there’s a pour-over system in there.”
The SGA executives said they just want to create an open office environment to the student body.
According to McElroy, last year SGA purchased doorstoppers for the office doors to literally make the office a more open environment.
“They just want to convey the message that they’re open to input, to questions, to hang out time,” McElroy said. “It really is intended for the students.”
According to McElroy, one of the primary goals of SGA’s office budget is to bring more students into the office.
“If we can translate the fact that SGA is open to students, hopefully they will feel like the whole campus is open to them and welcoming and receiving in that way,” McElroy said.
SGA President Zekariah McNeal said that one of his main goals is for students to be comfortable walking into the SGA office.
“That’s really what I want the office to be is really comfortable coming in to.” McNeal said.
Each SGA executive student on staff is required to have ten office hours per week to be available to the student body.
“We as executives have office hours so students can come in, talk about what they need, what they want to see on campus or just hang out,” McNeal said.
Freshman Kylie Buggeln said she frequently goes to the SGA office because she knows the executives, but if the executives want more students to come into the office for coffee, they should advertise it.
“No one is going to be in there and say, ‘Hey make me a free cup of coffee,’” Buggeln said. “They need to announce it.”
0
0
Be First to Comment