Hello EMU, what a year it has been! Reflecting back on everything these past months have held, we are so grateful for the ways we’ve seen the student body show up for each other and bring energy back to campus. One of the biggest challenges we all faced when we came back to campus in the fall was coming together after a particularly challenging and divisive year previously.
As things on campus slowly returned to more like they were before, we bounced back too. We saw the formation of 3 new clubs, plus some dormant ones starting back up. We wrestled with Common Grounds changing location and as SGA we poured energy into thinking through design plans and holding room for exciting changes while keeping the parts of Common Grounds that we have all grown to love. We had senators take initiative to begin Open Discussion times for students to learn what renovations are happening and give their input. Others have also been working on finding ways to make our campus more physically accessible to all.
This spring, we held our first ever SGA Day, and thanks to each of you it was a huge success! With all kinds of activities such as crafts, sports, panel discussions, and even a taco truck, it was an afternoon of time spent enjoying each other’s company and taking a break from our incredibly busy semesters.
One of our favorite parts about spring is seeing everyone outside again! From students to community members, it brings so much joy to see people being together, having fun, and taking advantage of our beautiful campus.
To us, this year has felt a lot different than last, with our hard work of masking and distancing paying off as COVID-19 numbers decreased and allowed for looser restrictions. Still, this year was not without its challenges and we showed up there as well, holding strikes and rallies to change policies contributing to climate change, raising our voices to bring awareness about sexual violence, and celebrating Black excellence while speaking out against the injustices still being faced by the Black community. In these and each of the other ways we worked towards change, we showed care for fellow students and for our community.
The end of the year is always bittersweet, but we hope you head into the summer proud of what we’ve accomplished together in these past months. It has been an honor to serve you, EMU!