What to know about student government at Lane Community College
By Rye Butler-Corbett
Student government elections are happening at Lane Community College.
Lane Student Government Association (Lane SGA) is as old as the school itself, and is made up of the president, the vice president and eight senators.
Applications for candidature were due April 11. Campaigning was open for 10 days starting April 21 through May 1. Between April 28 and May 2, voting was open on Moodle to all students that have paid the student activity fee.
Finally, election results are announced on May 6.
Lane SGA hosts a lot of events, which are advertised via social media and campus posters. These include meet and greets with student government members, as well as informational sessions that offer students a chance to give feedback.
While this is important and helps to boost school spirit, Lane SGA does more than plan events and serve you free food. According to their website findable at Lanecc.edu, the group serves as the voice and representatives of the students.
SGA President Sophie Gibson notes, “You get to represent students in a lot of different places.” She adds, “Not only at a local level – the college and Eugene – but also you can represent at a National level.”
The team went to Washington DC in the past year to meet with representatives. They also went to Salem to meet with Lisa Fragala, one of Oregon’s representatives, and some of our senators like Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkely.
With the senators, the team talked about basic needs, the short term Pell Grant, and other policies that impact students.
Gibson detailed what SGA does for Lane at these kinds of meetings. She talked about how SGA has testified for bills, and written testimonies for meetings and court hearings. “We can really advocate for things that are going to impact students.”
Gibson was enthusiastic to talk about what Lane SGA does on the college level, specifying that it is, “one of the main aspects of being a student gov representative.”
Student government members sit in on all meetings from the LCC Board of Education to the College Council, where they make decisions that directly impact the students at LCC, Gibson explained.
Most recently on April 2, there was a board meeting where they decided to increase tuition by 3.1% as well as changing the student activity fee and the yearly mandatory fees.
SGA ran a campaign via social media that asked students to give input on the decision, and encouraged them to go to the board meeting.
Gibson describes her experience with Lane SGA as being “it is what you make of it.”
She adds that; if you are interested in being a Lane SGA member, a great first step is showing up to meetings and seeing what it’s like.
Gibson also adds, “We have all kinds of opportunities, volunteering at events, sharing ideas and doing other general work.”
“We always want to have students come join us in the student government office,” she says.
Lane SGA meets every other Tuesday during the 24/25 school year for a public senate meeting. This month’s dates are May 13 and May 27, from 4pm – 6pm, in Center Building Room 217.
