I have so many people to thank, but would like to start out with recognizing the student body. This year, the SGA wanted to be more approachable and open to listening to student concerns or suggestions and I think we’ve succeeded greatly. Students know the SGA is there for them and while not every suggestion can be fulfilled, we always ready to at least try. The SGA is what we like to call a “quality control” group for the College. We are here for you and students know that. That’s why the SGA exists.

To the administration, faculty, and staff, thank you for being so open to hearing proposals from the SGA and working with us with even through the toughest topics. Curtis Wright, the SGA advisor, you have been nothing short of amazing. You believed in me ever since my first year at Wagner and I could not thank you enough for being there for the SGA and I.

Senators! Where would the SGA be without you? I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with and I enjoyed every second of it. Every role on the SGA is equally important and I’m glad you felt that this year. Continue to work hard by representing the student body’s concerns and suggestions. I am excited for the 2013-2014 SGA Executive Board and Senate. Simply put, I know you will all accomplish big things.

To summarize SGA’s legislative accomplishments this year, I’d like to note the extension of the library hours (which now closes at 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday), extension of the Late Night Shuttle (now operating until 3:10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday), initiation of early morning coffee (opens at 7:30 a.m. in Foundation Hall), debut of Wagner Cares that helped lead Wagner’s response to Hurricane Sandy and raise over $32,000 that went to awards for affected students who needed financial assistance to remain in college, soil quality research with the Chemistry department, and rebuilding homes, the Student Digest that helped diminish the amount of emails students receive per day, having two Town Hall meetings per semester for students to voice their concerns and to allow accountability from one meeting to the next (there was previously one Town Hall per semester), beginning of WagCAB’s Skyline Comedy series, the new intrigue added to the Toilet Times, and for having two Late Night Shuttles “double backing” each other to help decrease the amount of students left behind.
There is much more to be done and the next SGA administration willingly understands that. I urge them to continue the SGA’s collaboration with Public Safety to make the shuttle service more consistent and reliable for students, to ensure coin machines are installed as per our Spring 2013 proposal, to continue to be transparent and open to the student body’s concerns, to follow up with our proposal for mid-semester teacher evaluations so that students could witness improvement while they are still taking the class, to continue being active on social media to let students know what we are up to, and to pursue the outdoor basketball court idea.

To the Class of 2013 — the S.S. Wagner has landed back at the dock. I urge you all to board another ship and start a new exciting adventure. See you all during Senior Week and at Commencement. Farewell and good luck with your future endeavors.
Signing off for the last time,

Gregory J. Balaes

President, Student Government Association

Most recently, the SGA has noticed concerns amongst students who use the Shuttle Service. Whether it be the Campus Shuttle (the one that takes you from the parking lots to Towers, for example), the Ferry Shuttle (operates during the day to and from the SI Ferry and Wagner College), or the Late Night Ferry Shuttle (the one that operates from 11:40pm to 2:10am on Thursdays and 11:40pm to 3:10am on Fridays and Saturdays), there are some flaws that we believe CAN be fixed. With that, the SGA has come up with an electronic survey for the student body so that we can gain your feedback and work to address any issues. A future update will follow about the results of the survey and the any possible solutions.

On a brighter note, both Wagnerstock and Big Name were a huge success. Although the weather could have been better, students did not shy away at the sight of clouds or a cold gust of wind. Over 1,100 tickets were sold to see Wale during the SGA’s annual Big Name concert and students seemed to have enjoyed the performance with mixed reviews. In my past four years on the SGA, we have covered four very different genres of music. It went from rock with Gavin DeGraw in 2010, to DJ Girl Talk in 2011, to pop with Gym Class Heroes in 2012, and now rap with Wale in 2013. When selecting this year’s Big Name, we made sure to keep in mind your suggestions during last year’s campus-wide survey. I greatly anticipate another successful event next year. A big thank you to the SGA, WagCAB, the campus life offices, the Graduate Assistants, maintenance, public safety, student volunteers, and the athletics staff who helped make the day a success.

At this time I would like to congratulate the 2013-2014 SGA Executive Board on being elected by the student body. A warm welcome to Andrew Burt (President-Elect), Christina Brunetti (Vice President-Elect), Patrick Dutton (V.P. of Finance-Elect), and Meagan Maniscalco (V.P. of Communications-Elect) who I am very confident will make a successful team in the upcoming year. Please join us at the last Club Congress meeting on April 30th at 4:30pm (location TBA), as they are officially sworn in. There are still two Executive Board positions to be appointed and Senator positions to be elected. Look out for Senator candidates who will be campaigning in the coming days, with elections to follow. Good luck to all candidates!

Lastly, I would like to remind you that Senior Week is right around the corner. Senior Week is the week in between the last day of finals and graduation and is a big tradition at most campuses across the U.S.. This year, it will begin on May 16th, the day after finals end, and end on May 22nd, with Baccalaureate and Commencement to follow. Senior Week information packets officially went out last week, with most of the traditions, like the Senior Cruise, being kept the same as in previous years. The events and payment information can be found on the SGA website, by visiting www.wagner.edu/sga and clicking on the “Events” tab. Keep in mind the deadline for payment will be May 1.

Enjoy the remainder of your April and remember to save some time to clear away any stress as finals approach. Whether it be small fifteen-minute breaks to break up the monotony of studying, the gym to release any stress that you may have, a warm cup of coffee to keep yourself energized, short fifteen-to-twenty minute naps to remain perky, or a cold cup of water to stay hydrated, make sure to keep your body healthy and your mind under control.

Signing off,

Gregory J. Balaes

President, Student Government Association

The semester feels almost finished now that Spring Break has passed. Well, we only have about a month and a half left so let’s make the best of it while we are still at good ole Wagner College. That means finish up strong with your classes, get any last minute letters of recommendation, secure that internship for this summer, finish up applying for jobs, appreciate your favorite NYC activities while you are still here, talk to that girl or guy you’ve been meaning to ask out, and enjoy the coming beautiful weather.

Back at the Student Government Association (SGA) office, business has been rapping up smoothly. Applications to run for the 2013-2014 SGA Vice President positions were made available to campus in the last week of March. Campaigning will begin the week of April 1^st and elections will follow. If you are interested in any of these positions or if you would like to run for a Senator position, please contact me at gregory.balaes@wagner.edu .

Break-ins and thefts have been way too common this past year. You might be in class on a Tuesday morning and next thing you know your car window is smashed, or your dormitory has been ransacked. All I can say is this feeling of insecurity on this campus is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable that even cars park in the campus lots have been broken into, that dormitories can be accessed using the credit card trick, that there have not been any official warnings or notifications to the student body, and that the Towers Hall front door has been unlocked for most of this academic year.

I urge Wagner’s Public Safety to heighten security and to be more visible in and around campus. A meeting with the SGA, Public Safety, the administration, and the Senior Staff has been scheduled to explain student concerns and to explore options that could make campus safer.

Wagnerstock is right around the corner and will take place as an all-day event on Saturday, April 20^th. During the day, come to the Sutter Oval and check out the live music from student and alumni bands, take a photo with your favorite background in front of a giant green-screen, and enjoy the many free giveaways. The day will end with this year’s Big Name, Grammy nominated rapper Wale, in the Spiro Sports Center at 9:00 p.m. Tickets for the Big Name concert are currently on sale at $5 for students and $10 for guests. Pay by cash in the SGA office on Thursdays only, or pay by credit/debit card online at www.wagner.edu/sga/events.

Senior Week, the seven days between when finals end and graduation, has been officially planned. We are kicking off the week with the Midtown Tour, Wet and Wild in West Lot, the Yankee game, a day at Point Pleasant Beach, Atlantic City, and Burrito Bar. The week will end with the Hudson River dinner cruise, followed by Baccalaureate and Commencement. If you want to view the entire schedule, check out the SGA website at www.wagner.edu/sga/events.

Wagner Cares will be providing scholarships for students who were victims of Superstorm Sandy. Applicants are asked to write an essay explaining how Superstorm Sandy impacted their educational career. For more information, please email wagnercares@wagner.edu.

That’s all for now.

Signing off,

Gregory J. Balaes

President, Student Government Association

For as long as I can remember, students complained about the shortage of on-campus ATMs and coin machines. As it is now, there are two ATMs on campus, one in the Union building and one in Harborview Hall, and there is only one coin machine for all residents, which is also located in Harborview Hall. I should also note that the single on-campus coin machine is usually empty.

Fortunately, the SGA has drafted and submitted a proposal this past month requesting the installation of additional ATMs and coin machines in the residence halls. I can only hope that this is the last semester that students have to deal with such a deficiency. We will keep you posted on the progress.

This past month also brought a lot of attention to Wagner’s shuttle service. Following student suggestions, the Late Night Shuttle (sponsored by the SGA Student Activity Fee) will now operate one hour later on Fridays and Saturdays. The last pick up from the SI Ferry is now 3:10 a.m on Friday and Saturday (it was previously 2:10 a.m.).  Remember that the Thursday Late Night Shuttle’s last stop will remain 2:10 a.m..

Late Night Shuttle drivers were also instructed to wait until the scheduled departure times before leaving. This is so that if both shuttles are filled and there are remaining students, the Late Night Shuttles will return to pick up remaining students on a “second run,” except on the last run (2:10 a.m. on Thursdays and 3:10 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). If you have any other suggestions for either the regular shuttle (that operates during the day) or the Late Night Shuttle, please email sga@wagner.edu.

The SGA’s Senior Week Committee hosted its first countdown to graduation event, titled “90 Nights to Graduation,” which hosted a 90s theme. This 21+ event served beer and wine in the Hawks Nest and was well attended, with over 75 attendees. These events are designed to celebrate our time here at Wagner and also raise money for the Senior Week events that occur in May. If you missed it, we look forward to seeing you at our next Countdown to Graduation event! Stay tuned.

Lastly, I’d like to send a big thank you to those of you who reached out to the SGA in the past with great ideas for campus. This type of transparency between the students, the administration and the SGA, is important and I’m glad it has been well established amongst the Wagner community.

Signing off,
Gregory J. Balaes
President, Student Government Association

I am thrilled to officially announce this year’s Big Name! As most of you may already know, Grammy nominee and rap artist Wale will be performing for the Student Government Association’s (SGA) annual Big Name concert. The concert will take place on April 20th at night, with Wagner Stock happening during the day on the Sutter Oval lawn. Ticketing information will be made available in the coming weeks.

Want to bring a new club or organization to campus? The deadline for creating a new club or organization will be February 5th. All you need is a club constitution and a list of ten interested members. Check out the SGA website for more details, under the “Clubs and Organizations” link on the sidebar.

For existing clubs and organizations, don’t forget to re-register with SGA by February 5th to remain an SGA recognized organization. This is extremely important. Just go to the SGA website, click “Forms” and follow the links there. Need funding? Budget request forms will be due by February 8th, followed by budget hearings, and allocation of funds before the end of February.

Wagner Cares, with the help of the Wagner College Community, helped to raise over $32,000 for hurricane relief. Funds are going to be available on a proposal-grant-basis that can be submitted to wagnercares@wagner.edu. To all who donated, whether it be time by volunteering, purchased items, or monetarily, you should be proud of this extremely large accomplishment. I am so grateful for the support of Wagner College’s first-class administration, the student’s selfless volunteering, the alumni, locals in the community, faculty, friends, and staff for reaching out during a time of need, the parents for their underlying support, the Wagner Cares Steering committee, and of course SGA. There is a bright future in this organization and while I’ll be graduating in May, I am excited to see what else Wagner Cares will accomplish.

But I don’t want to prematurely celebrate our accomplishments. The recovery is NOT over and there are many families a few miles away that are still in need. That’s why we’ve partnered with the Salvation Army and a grassroots organization called Disaster Dispatcher of the SI Yellow Team to help facilitate our volunteers. Look out for emails and messages on the Wagner Cares website about how you can continue to help. The relief efforts will extend through the Spring semester onward and we would love to have you lend a helping hand. Stay tuned!

On that note, I would like to welcome our newly appointed VP of Community Service, Carolyn Hagerty who will be taking over Katherine Schaefer’s duties on SGA. Congratulations, Carolyn! Want to join SGA? We are now accepting applications for Senior, Junior, and Sophomore Senator positions. Just go to www.wagner.edu/sga/apply and fill out an application by February 4th at 4pm.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @Wagner_SGA

That’s all for now.

Signing off,
Gregory J. Balaes
President, Student Government Association

Wow, what a month! In the past thirty days or so, the Student Government Association (SGA) has been successful with legislation to extend the library hours on Friday and Saturday, which will now close at 12:00 a.m. (it previously closed at 8:00 p.m.) beginning in the Spring 2012 semester. As a reminder, the hours will remain the same from Sunday to Thursday, with changes strictly to the Friday and Saturday schedules. I would like to send compliments and gratitude to Besa Balidemaj for chairing this proposal, Dean of the Library Dorothy Davidson, and Provost Lily McNair for helping to make this come to fruition.

Hurricane Sandy relief is still underway and will continue into 2013. The Wagner Community has so graciously raised over $12,000 hurricane relief through Wagner Cares. Additionally, a $10,000 grant was awarded to support the Wagner Cares initiatives and is expecting a $20,000 donation as a result of a fundraiser in NYC. Money raised is going directly to those effected by Hurricane Sandy and will also support our campus community’s volunteer efforts. Lastly, I’d like to thank our Wagner alumni at Clear Channel Outdoor who helped promote Wagner Cares on a billboard overlooking the Goethals Bridge.

Next semester SGA Senators plan to continue legislating for much needed coffee house renovations. Senators are also working with the shuttle drivers to ensure that driving routes are time efficient and want to adjust scheduling to warrant ample time for passengers to walk to and from the ferry without having to run. I encourage and welcome your input on these topics. Remember that without you, the student body, SGA is nothing. We are here for you and truly take your opinions and suggestions into consideration. Please contact me if you would like to contribute.

That’s all for now. Good luck on finals and may your winter break be relaxing!

Signing off,

Gregory J. Balaes

President, Student Government Association

Those students asking for healthier side options in the Hawks Nest, you can request a side of salad (Garden or Cesar), or fruit. Whole-wheat wraps are also available in the Dining Hall if you ask. Other students mentioned they are hungry at night and suggested to extend the Hawks Nest’s hours past 10 p.m. and/or bring in a food truck on campus. If you have any suggestions, please let Chef, any of the Lackmann managers, or SGA know by emailing sga@wagner.edu and we’ll be sure to look into it.

Homecoming festivities went great as usual and, this time, with no snow! Students, family, and friends were there to support our Seahawks in the stands, but tailgating, a very popular activity at many sports games and concerts, was lightly celebrated. The erected tent, or alternative to tailgating, that sold food and beverages seemed to be avoided by fans, even those who were 21-and-older. While fans certainly showed Wagner pride in the stands, more work needs to be done to find a common ground on tailgating that leads to both a safe and an enjoyable atmosphere for all parties, including current students. “Homecoming is an event for the alumni, but we are the future alumni. If we aren’t enjoying homecoming now, then why would we come back?” said a student at the last Town Hall meeting. For those of you who missed Homecoming, Seahawks took the win — congratulations!

Lastly, the library hours are still in the process of being extended. As a side note, desk lamps have been added to areas of the library where the lighting was previously dim. I’d also like to highlight the success at this year’s Fall Fest, which featured a mechanical bull, and had support from many students on campus. And finally, WagCab’s Skyline Comedy Series was once again a big hit this month. If you missed it, be sure to check it out next time!

That’s all for now.
Signing off,
Gregory J. Balaes
President, Student Government Association