{"669963":{"#nid":"669963","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SGA Leaders See Opportunity as Georgia Tech Reaches \u2018Inflection Point\u2019 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith enrollment numbers reaching record highs and campus infrastructure changing rapidly, the new leaders of the undergraduate Student Government Association (SGA) see an opportunity to amplify the voice of their fellow students entering the Institute\u0027s next generation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPresident Aanjan Sikal and Executive Vice President Harrison Baro take their respective offices at an \u0022inflection point\u0022 in Georgia Tech\u0027s history as transformative projects are completed and a growing student body creates the need for additional resources.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It truly does feel like there is something brewing,\u0022 Sikal said. \u0022Especially with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/08\/28\/latest-campus-construction\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScheller Tower and the George Tower coming up in Tech Square\u003C\/a\u003E, with Art Square and Science Square now as well; it definitely feels like we are preparing ourselves, and with this enrollment growth we want to make access expandable to everyone.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESikal, a fourth-year industrial engineering student, previously served as the vice president of academic affairs under Rohan Sohani, who he credits with igniting conversations with Tech leadership regarding the stress that growth has placed on campus services such as housing, dining, registration, and infrastructure. Deciding to run for president, Sikal aimed to keep that conversation going and secure students\u0027 place at the table as critical decisions are made.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We want to make sure that for every decision that Georgia Tech makes, there are students on those decision boards and committees who are making those decisions along with the administration. We want student involvement in every level of Georgia Tech,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESikal also notes that while some solutions take time to come to fruition, finding and executing short-term solutions will be a key part of their administration. Both Sikal and Baro see SGA as an organization that exists to embody the opinion of the collective student body, and Baro emphasized the importance of creating an open forum for students to participate in an ongoing dialogue where ideas can be shared with SGA leaders.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022At the end of the day, this is an institution, and our goal as student government is always looking at how we can improve the student experience on campus and not only help everyone be a successful student, but also a successful member of the community.\u0026nbsp;We want to make sure they understand that Georgia Tech is not just a place to get a degree, it\u0027s a place to call home, and it\u0027s a place that you should feel safe, welcome, and accepted,\u0022 Baro, a third-year environmental engineering student, said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/09\/29\/sga-budget-orientation-session-3\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESGA plays a vital role in the support of student organizations on campus\u003C\/a\u003E, and continuing that support became a pillar of Sikal and Baro\u0027s platform.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Whether it\u0027s funding organizations that can share pieces of their personality with other students or funding an organization to go and compete and represent Georgia Tech, I just want people to leave Georgia Tech having this love for their alma mater, and I think student government fits perfectly into that puzzle,\u0022 Sikal said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pair praised Institute leadership for their willingness to engage with SGA and value students\u2019 voice. To ensure the strong relationship continues, they have prioritized setting up meetings with faculty members and administrators early in their tenure to continue building bridges.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen he arrived on campus, Baro was intrigued by the inner workings of a college campus. His various roles within SGA have given him new insight into the \u0022city within a city\u0022 that is Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We get to see the student side as students ourselves and talking to our fellow classmates about things that we would like to see happen. From the administrative side, we get a more nuanced approach to the complexities of each situation and understand that cost-benefit analysis from both sides,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe newly renovated John Lewis Student Center was the vision of past SGA leaders, and to Sikal and Baro, the space represents the impact that their administration will have during this period in Tech\u0027s history.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027re a moment in time, but what we do now can be carried from year to year and should be carried on because, if you move on and forget about what happened the year before, everything that we work toward and advocate for is lost,\u201d Sikal said. \u201cThe continuation of ideas is extremely important to make Georgia Tech what it is.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESikal and Baro continue to gather feedback from the campus community, and while there are challenges that come with the position, they feel a renewed excitement on campus that has them eager to see what the future holds.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The new leaders of the undergraduate Student Government Association begin their terms at a critical moment in Georgia Tech\u2019s history and want to bring students to the table.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe new leaders of the undergraduate Student Government Association begin their terms at a critical moment in Georgia Tech\u2019s history and want to bring students to the table.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The new leaders of the undergraduate Student Government Association begin their terms at a critical moment in Georgia Tech\u2019s history and want to bring students to the table.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-09-26 20:55:15","changed_gmt":"2023-09-28 14:50:46","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671845":{"id":"671845","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Undergraduate Student Government Association VP Harrison Baro and President Aanjan Sikal","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Undergraduate Student Government Association VP Harrison Baro and President Aanjan Sikal. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1695762232","gmt_created":"2023-09-26 21:03:52","changed":"1695762232","gmt_changed":"2023-09-26 21:03:52","alt":"Georgia Tech Undergraduate Student Government Association VP Harrison Baro and President Aanjan Sikal.","file":{"fid":"254984","name":"Screenshot 2023-09-26 at 4.59.37 PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Screenshot%202023-09-26%20at%204.59.37%20PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Screenshot%202023-09-26%20at%204.59.37%20PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1019010,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/26\/Screenshot%202023-09-26%20at%204.59.37%20PM.png?itok=LwFTd00q"}}},"media_ids":["671845"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.sga.gatech.edu","title":"Student Government Association Website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181112","name":"Georgia Tech Student Government Association"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Communications Officer\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}