The University of Michigan’s Central Student Government convened Tuesday evening to discuss proposals to ensure the transparency of CSG, as well as help to fund university-wide career-building events for students. The meeting concluded with the passing of three resolutions, including the enactment of CSG’s winter 2018 budget, training to combat modern-day anti-Semitism, and further revision of the election code.
The assembly hosted a guest speaker to promote increased student voter participation and turnout. Rackham student Alton Worthington in the Political Science Department, introduced members to Turn Up Turnout, a student group that aims to teach students at Michigan about the importance of voting in midterm and local elections. Worthington, the secretary of Turn Up Turnout, presented statistics to members, including the fact that less than half of students on campus vote in local elections.
Worthington encouraged CSG to partake in a four-phase plan that urges students to register to vote and ultimately show up on Election Day. Organizations that can reach a larger student population, such as CSG, will help to increase overall turnout in student voters. While working with the Big Ten Voting Challenge, which incentivizes students who register to vote, Turn Up Turnout has a clear mission for their organization.
“We need to encourage students to recognize that civic engagement, when it comes to voting, is an important part of their participation in society,” Worthington said. “Students can use their voice, not just on campus.”
Following the guest speaker, CSG President Anushka Sarkar, an LSA senior, announced the beginning of a collaboration with other student leaders to plan a unity rally in February before Spring Break. This event is planned to counter the efforts being made to allow Richard Spencer to speak on Michigan’s campus, which has been a topic of much debate since October.
CSG Vice President Nadine Jawad, a Public Policy senior, addressed the finalizing of the campus affordability guide, in which she emphasized the guide’s importance to students and other Big Ten universities’ hopes to replicate the guide.
“I think this is a really useful resource because it’s on our campus,” Jawad said. “Schools reached out and said (the guide) was incredible.”
A resolution was proposed to help fund the Career Center’s “Suit Up” event, particularly transportation from campus to JCPenney at Briarwood Mall. JCPenney partnered with the University to offer up to a 70 percent discount on professional wear for students. With the event’s success in October, plans to host another “Suit Up” event in February are underway. Public Health senior Lloyd Lyons presented the resolution to the assembly and highlighted the event’s benefits to students who may be seeking job or internship opportunities.
“As career fair time is coming up, this is going to be a huge event for students to get some clothing,” Lyons said.