On August 30th, the first Student Government Association meeting of the year was held in the Burke Mountain Room. VTSU Interim President Mike Smith opened the meeting with a speech regarding the end of his tenure as Interim President and his future views for the university.
Unfortunate news about the budget was delivered about the budget for the upcoming semesters, as the SGA executive board has still not been delivered the official budget figures yet, requiring clubs to operate on the preliminary numbers that were used during budget discussions the previous semester. They are hoping to have finalized budgets for the next meeting on September 13th.
A vote was then held regarding the future of the Gardening Club. The club was archived back in March 2023 after the executive board saw multiple resignations among low student involvement. With two new students, President Jane Bradley and Vice President Kay Clark, acting as the interim executive board, the club sought and was granted unarchival for the school year. Their meeting time is 6 PM every Thursday.
The last topic touched on during the meeting was a somber one, as ideas were discussed regarding memorializing the unfortunate passing of Ava Conklin. Both the Gardening Club and Twilight Players brought forth ideas for their clubs to provide memorials, such as a dedicated garden or trees near Library Pond, and a dedicated seat in the theater alongside a memoir before shows. Ideas are still being accepted, as the SGA board looks for funding and permissions before projects begin. If you have any ideas, please contact SGA at LyndonSGA@vermontstate.edu.