Diaz to address student body
Student body president Matthew Diaz is expected to deliver a 15-minute State of the Student Body Address tonight, stating priorities for the fall semester.
“I think the main thing … is to give an update as to where we are and where we’re going,” he said. “We will give students an idea of what to expect to see in the fall.”
Diaz, a senior majoring in political science and philosophy, said Student Government (SG) has been working over the summer to plan the fall semester, including creating events like Saturday’s Notre Dame watch party and Bulls Night with the Rays.
More importantly, he said, SG has been working on prioritizing USF’s legislative initiatives ranging from the separation of the Polytechnic campus to the increase in tuition by the Board of Governors, and said he will go into details about how they will be addressed during his speech.
Diaz said he also hopes to create more “open lines of communication” between students and USF administrators.
“We’re getting geared up for this legislative season,” he said. “We’ve been working our hardest to get the students’ agenda at the forefront of legislators’ minds.”
While he is ready to undertake his obligation to the student body, Diaz said he worries about the time in which all his priorities can be accomplished, such as planning traditional events like Homecoming and creating more student involvement.
“You’re only president for such a short time,” he said. “But we have full confidence that we’re going to be able to accomplish much of what we have planned.”
The Senate meeting, which will include the address and a pinning ceremony, will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Marshall Student Center Chambers.