Julia Walters

Features Editor

If there is ever an issue or concern from the Millersville student body, the Student Government
Association (SGA) wants to know about it.
SGA executive members John Tintera, SGA’s president, and Abbey Ford, vice president of
advocacy and outreach, took to Saxby’s Monday evening from 4 – 6 p.m. to hear campus concerns
from students and what could potentially be done to rectify some of these issues.
Students could either privately fill out a comment/concern card with a suggestion of how to
improve campus, or they could talk directly to students about any problems they may have.
Additionally, students could grab a free cup of Saxby’s coffee while they share their comments.
“We’re always looking for more outreach,” Ford said on behalf of the entire organization. When
it comes to engaging with students about their concerns on campus, she believes that SGA’s direct
engagement with students has seriously decreased since she was a freshman, almost three full years
ago. However, as an executive board member, this is one thing she and the rest of the executive board
is out to change.
The Coffee and Concerns events at Saxby’s have been occurring since January 2018 and Ford
believes that they’re effective because they “give a good gauge of what students are thinking.”
“A student-to-student approach is more open,” Ford says of the coffee events which are held
almost monthly. It promotes direct conversation and connection with students and is a great way to
show students that the school government cares about what they have to say. According to Ford,
students are more comfortable talking to other student representatives with whom they can relate
rather than another adult they’re unable to connect with.
Parking is one consistent issue that SGA members hear about. While parking at Millersville is
not always ideal, Ford says that SGA and the Millersville University Police Department are currently
attempting to set up a parking task force, which should help the situation.
While a great solution may not happen immediately, SGA is doing all they can to get it all
moving. “Everything is a progression and it takes a lot of internal movement from administration. With
road closures and things, we just look for the best ways to deal with that and the best solution that
works for the most amount of people,” said Ford.
She also noted that “the tactics are always changing” regarding the specific ways
representatives connect with students. Depending on who is currently in office at the time, the
strategies used to connect with students are subject to change with those factors in mind as well.
If you have a question or concern that you’d like to get help with, Abbey Ford can be reached
through email at villeoutreachvp@gmail.com !