SG solicits suggestions, offers free smoothies

Student Government will give anyone who drops by the MLK Plaza on Monday free pizza, smoothies and the chance to play games for prizes. They just want to know what’s on students’ minds.

The biannual Organization Forum, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is an attempt to get students more involved with campus politics by telling their SG representatives what they think and feel about the way things are run.

SG senators from the Organizational Outreach Committee (OOC) – the liaison between SG and the student organizations it funds – coordinate the event once a semester, said committee chair Loren Glaser.

Glaser hopes the planned events and prizes will encourage students to participate. She’s already expecting more than a thousand students to come out.

“We will be giving away a USF jersey, hat and football, all signed by coach Jim Leavitt,” she said. “Also, several promotional items provided by Bulls Country will be given away.”

According to Glaser, students who attended last year’s forum had to fill out a form stating their concerns before getting food and refreshments. This year, however, any student who attends can receive free Papa John’s pizza, Jamba Juice smoothies, McAlister’s tea and Monster energy drinks.

Students can compete for prizes in several games, such as a spinning trivia wheel and a bull’s-eye beanbag toss, two holdovers from past semesters, Glaser said.

“We are always working for the students and it is important for students to see the good things that we are doing,” she said. “Students can voice any concerns from car-keying incidents to tuition issues, and also meet their (SG) representatives.”

Glaser said several SG senators and representatives from the executive, legislative and judicial branches – including President Garin Flowers and Vice President Faran Abbasi – will be on hand to answer students’ questions.

“We hope to get relevant concerns that we can work on and fix,” Glaser said. “Each semester there is a great turnout and we are hoping for more of a turnout this time.”