SGA Names New Election Committee, Mulls Accountability and Finance Overhauls

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the 114th Student Government Association (SGA) gathered for its third general‑body meeting of the year. The room buzzed with the usual mix of campus chatter and the occasional rustle of papers as senators settled in.

First on the agenda was the confirmation of four students to serve on the Committee on Student Elections (CSE). This committee, which runs candidate info sessions, sets election timelines and oversees the actual voting process, now includes Grace Yang, Sajiv Harikrishnan, Anahat Goraya, and Jazlyn Sandhu. Their names were read aloud, a brief applause followed, and the Senate moved on.

SGA Treasurer Amy Xu gave a quick financial snapshot: the finance committee had cleared most of its allocations and still had roughly $200,000 left to distribute. That leftover pool sparked a flurry of questions about where the money could go next.

Black Caucus Senator Oluwanifemi Ajayi used the floor to highlight ongoing work to raise the profile of Black culture on campus. She mentioned several Black student organizations and hinted at a new, centralized platform that would pool information about events, resources, and initiatives for the community.

Class Council Senator Kai Martin shifted focus to the Student Service Committee. He outlined efforts to untangle the maze of meal‑swipe rules at Charles Street Market and flagged talks with Hopkins Dining about pulling back certain culturally specific food options that have caused controversy. Martin also announced a plan to station committee liaisons within university departments and a tabling event to showcase data‑center projects.

Senator Mamadou Thiam raised a practical concern: how to get athletic trainers to work with smaller club sports. His goal was simple—more on‑site injury prevention and immediate care for athletes who don’t belong to varsity teams.

After the member confirmations, the Senate turned to a proposed Accountability Act. The draft would require senators to stay listed in initiative reports even if they have nothing new to report, giving the public a clearer picture of who’s actually active. It also differentiates between missing a general‑body meeting and skipping a committee session. Under the proposal, each member could claim three excused GBM absences and three excused committee absences per semester. The Senate voted to send the bill to the Internal Affairs Committee for a deeper look.

The meeting then tackled the Fast‑Forward Finance Bill on its second reading. The measure lets funding requests under a set ceiling skip the first reading and head straight to the Finance Committee and a second Senate reading. Lawmakers bumped the ceiling from $500 to $1,000, arguing that many event‑budget requests fall below the new limit. Some senators warned that a higher threshold might reduce scrutiny on a larger chunk of money.

In a related amendment, the Senate approved up to $250 for summer spending on SGA promotional materials—things like banners and flyers that can be printed before the fall semester kicks off. The Senate also gave the green light to a separate funding request from the Johns Hopkins University Muslim Association.

Proposals to add dedicated seats for transfer students and an LGBTQIA+ caucus were left on the table. Sponsors explained that such changes would require a constitutional amendment, a separate process altogether. Because the vote didn’t reach the three‑fourths supermajority, the Senate postponed those ideas to a future meeting.

Public input capped the session. One student announced plans to introduce legislation that would compel SGA to release aggregated, more detailed statistics on how it allocates its funds—a push for greater transparency that echoes the spirit of the Accountability Act.