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| Photo by: Sean Ferry Dr. Betsy Johnson poses for a photo with Big E prior to the meeting. |
As the 4:30 p.m. start time
approached, a large red amorphous creature descended the auditorium
steps to silence. Student Government President James Ruane started the
meeting by introducing the mascot as Big E.
About 20 students,
including the executive members of Student Government, were there. When
asked what she thought of Big E, Stacey Fields, a civic ambassador for
Owens, said, “He was eye-catching, but I hope he can connect more with
the students in the future.”
Several staff members were also at
the meeting including Vice President of Student Services Dr. Betsy
Johnson. “I’m excited to have Big E on campus’” said Johnson. She went
on to explain that a committee of staff and students was formed to come
up with Owens’ new mascot and that several student surveys were taken
into consideration during the process.
With the big surprise
unveiled, the meeting continued with a plea for volunteers to help with
the Nov. 4 blood drive at Owens. According to Heather Haynes from the
American Red Cross, previous blood drives have been supported by the
students of the surgical technology program. However the program's
leadership has changed and will no longer commit to the event. “Our goal
for this drive is just 24 units of blood, but in the past we’ve
collected up to 100 units,” explained Haynes. Volunteers interested in
helping with the blood drive should contact Haynes at 419-351-2921.
Rachel
Isenhart was the next to speak. She shared her positive experience with
a company called Student Loan Support, and offered to take down names
and emails for further information. The company offers student loan
consolidation plans along with document preparation and submission
services. The Better Business Bureau gave the company its F rating with
58 documented complaints over the past three years. Dr. Johnson warned
that problems that can arise with these consolidation processes and
urged students to “closely investigate the consequences before you do
anything to affect your debt.”
In news relating directly to
Student Government, a new constitution has been proposed and is
available for review on the Student Government’s Owens website page for
30 days from the meeting.
When asked why he thought the meeting
was so poorly attended, the Secretary of Student Government Adren Burkes
said, “we are usually much more engaged with students. The dynamic of
the campus has changed with new students enrolling and people don’t pay
attention to announcements or the red bulletin boards.” Student
Government does offer cash prizes for just attending their meetings.
This week's winners were Janelle Phillips ($20), Ciara Bryant ($20) and
Duray Napier ($10). All of the money is placed on the students’ ID card
for use at any on-campus retail location.
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| Photo by: Sean Ferry Heather Haynes asks for volunteers for the blood drive. |
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