SGA hopes black boxes ease confusion for reps

The Student Government Association began its new Black Box program last Friday at the SGA meeting.

Representatives to the SGA assembly from student groups in attendance were given a black, three-ring binder containing information to bring with them to a meeting and share with others in their organizations.

SGA Vice President and Inter-campus Student Council Chair Thomas Helton said the binders, which are being called "black boxes" because he thought it would be "something fun to have a name for it", contain a copy of the SGA Constitution, a copy of the SGA voting policy, a list of meeting dates and a copy of every Student Life form.

"People can also put agendas and other handouts they get at the meetings in it," Helton said.

He said the program is going to be helpful because "reps were always losing documents" and the groups will often change representatives to the assembly.

"When organizations would send a different rep, they'd be confused and they couldn't participate to their capacity," he said.

He said he hopes it will make the assembly "more cohesive and knowledgeable."

Helton said he is "probably going to bring it up at ISC" as a program that can be implemented throughout the entire University of Missouri system "to enhance and heighten the communication between the campuses."

He said he thought of the idea of black boxes before he even ran for SGA Vice President last semester.

"My inspiration for it was my girlfriend [Abby Alby, a UM-Rolla student] because she's a part of her student council in Rolla," he said. "We thought of it together."