Success in Math Learning Center
On the second floor of the Pagoda Union Building in room 9301 sits a newly-renovated Student Leadership Center (SLC) where you will find the Student Body Association Parliament. There are 10 members. All positions are paid by Student Services and Activities (SSA).
In my visit to the office, I'm greeted by Tina Rajan and her supervisor, who prefers not be named, who are both Office Assistants. Their smiles emanating and bright eyes are welcoming and eager to inform me of the office's transformation. The SLC is an airy gathering where SLC Program Manager James Ardena and Interim Advisor Dr. Tonya Drake, along with students and staff, meet and organize to implement ways to reach the diverse population of Shoreline Community College. "We want student involvement... to reflect the diversity in the school." says Prime Minister Joice Pranata, who is responsible for overlooking student technology fees in addition to being a liaison between the student body and the faculty senate council's bi-monthly meetings. "We help subsidize printing fees and help [pay for] increases to bandwidth."
Voter turnout is an important goal for Parliament members this year. The Spring Quarter elections, April 15-17 of 2012, had low student participation: 171 votes for the President (Kanpong Thaweesuk), 271 for the Minister of Government (Karina Sindunata) and 163 for Minister of Communications (Lenka Savina). According to the Fall 2012 Comprehensive Report to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, SCC serves 12,100 students annually, where 72% take day courses, 19% take classes online, and 9% take classes during the evening or at another time, and 18% are students of color. International students account for approximately 750, and hail from 35 different countries. "I've been doing this a long time, you learn as you teach. I'm an immigrant. I like to get outside of my comfort zone." Elouiessa Muana, an F-1 visa international student and elected Minister of Constitutional Affairs (MOCA). "We're still in the process, it will be part of every student's life. We will provide booths at Spring quarter election, advertisements. We're planning to implement ECHO." Muana was Student Council President at her high school in the Philippines and an activist volunteer. ECHO is "...like Facebook, it's a bulletin board and calendar created by James Ardena and the Student Leadership Center" states Prime Minister Pranata.
The Student Body Association is aggressively addressing the lack of participation in elections. "We email application forms to all students available through their Shoreline email account and through the Arts and Entertainment board through ECHO. We are going to advocate, we are going to empower students. Last year there was no budget, but now we have one." Muana and her colleagues are determined. Echo is still in its infancy. Its purpose is to post forms for mini-grants to clubs / organizations, post announcements, and to have theultimate goal of easier access for campus involvement. "We are entrusting ourselves [Parliament] to the student body in terms of allocating money and building a relationship." A school without student government? I ask the Minister of Constitutional Affairs this. "There would be a decrease in the quality of work. I think it would be gloomy! Just classroom and chairs and faculty having no idea what the students need or want." A voter in the last election, Alan Charnley in his last quarter here at Shoreline explains, "If something goes wrong, I've earned the right to complain."
A.A Alley, staff writer
"We email application forms to all students available through their Shoreline email account and through the Arts and Entertainment board through ECHO. We are going to advocate,
we are going to empower students. Last year there was no budget, but now we have one,"
says Minister of Constitutional Affairs Elouiessa Muana.
Ashley Alley, Staff Writer
