The Student Government Association met briefly Tuesday, Nov. 19 to discuss the initiatives that members are working on and the status of appeal hearings that can take place during its last three meetings of the semester.  

Jasmine Reyes, the SGA elections commissioner, also took a moment to give an update on the special elections happening this week. Polls opened Tuesday at midnight and will close at 11:59 pm on Thursday, Nov. 21. The class of 2017 will elect its president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and senator. The class of 2016 will elect a new president, treasurer, and senator. Communication Sciences and Disorders students will elect their department senator. 

According to Reyes, the winners will be announced to the Emerson community on Nov. 25. 

Several members of the SGA gave updates on the initiatives they have been working on this semester. While no one has officially presented an initiative, there are four groups of SGA members who said they have been researching possible solutions to present to the college. 

These initiatives range from helping off-campus students, which is being put together by council members from the class of 2015, and improving dining services, which is being spearheaded by Hannah Perrin, the class of 2016 senator. 

President Paul Almeida asked those working on initiatives to hand in a rough draft by the semester’s last SGA meeting on Dec. 10. They will be finalized and turned over to college officials next semester, according to Almeida.  

Executive Treasurer John Dentinger said during the meeting there are currently no appeal hearings on the agenda. According to Dentinger, organizations can still turn in applications by the Dec. 10 meeting if they would like to appeal for more funds before the end of the semester.