Student representatives take part in decisions

Many students dedicate hours of their time to the betterment of student life. These students are elected by their peers to represent them to the administration and the faculty. They are servants of the people; they are members of Student Government. The motto of SG this year is to “Bring U Back to UM”.
Student Government is made up of three different branches. First there is the Executive Branch, which is made up of the president, vice president, and the treasurer, and an extension of the executive branch is the Cabinet.
The Cabinet is made up of appointed students. The Cabinet consists of committees that deal with issues ranging from Parking and Safety to Athletics.
The next branch of Student Government is the Senate. The Senate is made up of elected and appointed students. Students can be elected based on constituency. For example, there are academic class senators, school and college senators and residential senators.
The Speaker of the Senate chairs the Senate. Senate deals with all legislative issues of Student Government. Legislation deals with academic recommendations, money allocation and much more.
The last branch of Student Government is the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is made of six justices, and is chaired by the Supreme Court chief justice. The Supreme Court oversees all of SG, and makes sure its legislation adhere to the SG Constitution.
The University of Miami administration let Student Government play an active role with most decisions made concerning the university. There are student representatives, appointed by Student Government, on all major committees that deal with student affairs.
Last year, Student Government played a vital role in ensuring a student vote on the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees oversees major decisions at the University. It is very uncommon to see a private institution give rights to a student to sit on their board.
Another one of SG major accomplishments was the implementation of Ibis Ride, the shuttle to Coconut Grove. Last year, the shuttle ran only on Saturday nights, between the hours of 8 pm and 3:30 am. This year, Student Government President Michael Johnston has successfully petitioned to have Ibis Ride run Fridays and Saturdays.
Another project Student Government implemented was an awards program. Student Government feels that high academic success should be rewarded. So, all students who received a 4.0 were given cards that gave them 10 percent discount at the University of Miami bookstore.
One of Student Government’s youngest organizations has come on more forceful than ever. This year Category 5 (Cat 5) has come with a full hurricane force, ready to enrich all Canes with Hurricane Spirit and Pride. During orientation, every student will be asked what Category 5 means? The answer: Category 5 is the strongest force of a hurricane!
Cat 5 was created twp years ago to promote spirit and love for the Alma Mater. It hold multiple pep rallies, trips to away games and events all over campus. This past summer, Cat 5 paid for an installation of a sound system on the University Center rock. The rock is one of the most central places on campus and events are held their daily.
Student Government is a great way to get involved and meet new people. There are more than 120 members, and every one of them bleeds orange and green. If you are looking to get involved, e-mail Student Government President Michael Johnston at johnston@umiami.edu or call the SG office at 305-284-3082.