SGA seeks to increase school spirit during Homecoming

The Student Government Association (SGA) discussed ways to promote inclusivity and tradition on campus at its weekly meeting on Tuesday, March 7. These methods included increasing funding for the Intercultural Greek Council (IGC) and BlueJays Fly.

The IGC is the governing body that represents eight historically culturally-based fraternities and sororities on campus, and they are looking to start an annual barbecue on Alumni Weekend. According to IGC president, junior Tatiana Sorenson, the IGC is the largest bi-organizational council on campus and yet receives the least funding.

Sorenson explained the goals of the barbecue in bringing together the Hopkins community.

“Hopkins has had groups that would have been considered part of the IGC since the 1970s,” Sorenson said. “But we’ve never been able to provide any kind of community for our alumni.”

Junior Class Senator Kwame Alston supported the bill, explaining that it would promote diversity on campus.

“This event is really to foster some more diverse spaces,” Alston said. “We’re really trying to get back to that vibe that we used to have of creating a space with all of these alumni that we all, as freshmen coming in as students of color, looked up to knowing that this is where I can achieve.”

Junior Class Senator Pepe Muniz had some initial concerns about how the event would be marketed and whether it would be accessible to students outside of the IGC.

However, after discussing the merits of the bill, Muniz supported increasing the proposed funding to more than $500, making it a more large-scale event.

“Given that it does go along with our initiatives so well, I feel like we could give more than $500 and make this bigger,” Muniz said. “If we could be a little more ambitious, I don’t think it wouldn’t be illogical for me to say that we pass this first and then they adapt and make the event bigger so that it’s even more inclusive and reaches even more students.”

Alston also explained the reasons why the IGC deserved more funding from SGA.

“We hold a very special place in multicultural student life and we’re reaching out to the SGA because, as a representation of the student body, it should be the SGA’s job also to help with the cultivation of these inclusive spaces,” he said.

Freshman Class President Anthony Boutros, however, expressed some concern about increasing the funding without first budgeting the additional money.

“If we’re going to pass it now with $500, I’m completely comfortable doing that,” Boutros said. “But if we’re going to add more, I would like to see where this money is going, why you think you can draw more people than you initially expected, etc.”

Ultimately Muniz, who supported the addition, tabled the discussion. The topic would be discussed again when a new budget was drawn up to account for the potential increased funding.

The BlueJays Fly bill, presented by Freshman Class Senator Rushabh Doshi, is a proposed new homecoming tradition to increase school spirit. According to the bill, spectators would throw paper airplanes from the stands during the Homecoming game.

Doshi said this bill aims to increase school spirit by creating a new tradition, which is one of SGA’s main initiatives for this year.

“Students have long wanted a tradition that they can participate in,” Doshi said. “Universities all over the world have traditions that students are proud of... We’ve addressed health and diversity issues, but spirit is not something that we’ve addressed as much.”

Doshi said that the bill would require minimal funding from the SGA. The funding would be just enough to cover the cost of the paper, which would be recycled. He also said that the athletics department was excited to make this tradition a reality at homecoming games.

“Imagine thousands of Hopkins students throwing a paper airplane to symbolize that we, as Blue Jays, fly together,” Doshi said.

SGA members supported the bill, and Doshi readily answered any concerns his fellows brought up.

Doshi answered questions from the SGA about the logistics behind the idea, including who would pick up the paper, whether it would be recycled and whether SGA would be accountable for funding the tradition in subsequent years.

Doshi said that if the event became successful, the athletics department would take charge of organizing. The bill passed unanimously.

In addition to these initiatives, SGA discussed election campaign reforms that primarily addressed the changing use of social media in campaigning. Upcoming matters for discussion include potential SGA committee structure reforms and programming for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April.