The Student Government Association (SGA) has wasted no time in preparing future activities
and events for USF St. Pete students in the 20152016 academic year.
Student Body President Jozef Gherman, senior, and Vice President Juan Salazar, junior, have
only served for 3 months, but have passed 10 bills and two grants, enacted three executive
orders, made eight nominations for SG organizations and begun developing several new
programs and projects for the year.
“Summer is usually associated with relaxation, but SG has done so much in the summer that it
would take up the length of this speech,” Gherman stated at the State of the Student Body
address on August 3.
Gherman has four platform focus points for his presidency: elevate veteran services, increase
sustainability, connect with campus organizations and enhance student life services.
According to SG Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Cooney, the Anthropology Club received a
$4,527 grant for plane tickets to attend the American Anthropology Association conference in
Denver this November, and the Women’s Empowerment Club was given $375 for new tshirts
with their logo.
SG lobbies USFSP and Sodexo in an effort to offer students needbased meal plan scholarships,
and successfully secured 20 scholarships 10 for the fall and 10 for the spring. Gherman
considers this “one of the keystone accomplishments of the administration thus far.”
The Senate will now allow students to schedule appointments with the senators.
“This will provide more accessibility of our senators to the students they represent,” said Senate
ProTempore Richard Marini.
Vice President Juan Salazar has brought the It’s on Us Campaign to USFSP. With its start last
September at other universities, the campaign’s purpose is to spread awareness of sexual assault
and domestic violence on campus. To launch, the campaign’s petition requires 500 signatures.
The campaign is expected to take place October 2630.
Salazar is also in the process of developing a Workforce Mentorship program, which allows
workforce leaders and local managers educate students on jobs. Salazar hopes to launch the
program in the Spring.
The Office of Sustainability, responsible for environment and energy matters, plans to get two
projects running in the fall. The first is creating a garden named Food Forest behind Residence
Hall One.
The second project is working with SEAS (Student Environmental Awareness Society) on a
restoration project for USFSP’s Waterfront minibeach. Secretary of Sustainable Initiatives
David Vasquez hopes to get these projects completed before the spring semester.
“Everything is in progress for the works” said Vasquez. “We want to make our campus
environmentfriendly and sustainable.”
SG’s new Department of Veteran Affairs will host a Day of Remembrance on 9/11 dedicated to
those affected by that day in the University Student Center. Salazar said that the idea was
generated from a student’s post in the USFSP KnowItAll Guide on Facebook.
“I envy the real presidency because they got four years to serve. I only got one,” Gherman said.
“I only have one year to make a difference on campus.”
SG is an student organization that provides governance and service for students. They are
responsible for passing programs, projects and services offered to students. Other duties include
making decisions on budget distribution and working with the campus administration to make
important decisions for the student body. SGA consists of around 70 members, some of which
are freshman. To schedule an appointment with a senator, students scan with their smartphone a
poster of the senator’s QR code which will be displayed at the Senate Leadership Office.
