Hello Raiders, We hope that everyone had a great spring break and came back refreshed for the second half of the semester. The Student Government Association (SGA) will be holding senator elections for the upcoming year from April 8 through April 11. Your voice matters, so please check your email for the ballot for the senator elections and vote.
Do not miss out on money. If you haven’t completed your 2024-25 FAFSA and need assistance, Shippensburg University’s Office of Financial Aid is holding several FAFSA Completion Workshops on campus this April. Pennsylvania residents must complete the FAFSA no later than May 1 for PA State Grant consideration.
Torrin A. Greathouse, a transgender “cripple-punk” poet and essayist, brought Stewart Hall to life when they read their poems to students and faculty on Wednesday night. The event, hosted by the English department as part of Trans Week of Visibility, drew a large crowd and quickly filled seats.
My planner is my lifeline. I have said countless times that if I do not write an idea, event or deadline into my planner — or a random sticky note that happens to be within arm’s length — there is a significant chance that I will forget it almost instantly. There is a constant stream of residence life, admissions, communications/journalism, Slate and general life business cycling through my head, and I double-book myself at least once a week. Thankfully, I am not alone. I am consistently validated by the frequency of events across campus that overlap and are double-booked.
Shippensburg University’s Student Government Association (SGA) unanimously approved amendments to its constitution and bylaws at its March 28 public meeting. The amended constitution will reduce the required number of meetings SGA must hold from once every two weeks to once a month. Amendments also clarified the duties of vice presidents and updated SGA committees. Additionally, SGA approved a proposed increase to the student activity fee, which will be sent to SU administration for potential approval and next steps.
The historic side of Shippensburg University’s campus is getting an upgrade — courtesy of several alumni. Over the past few weeks, construction began for an archway next to Stewart Hall and Rowland Hall on the west side of campus. The project is funded by the family of Class of 1973 alumnus, long-time member of the SU Board of Trustees and former Pennsylvania State Representative Jeff Coy, who passed away in 2018. Additionally, construction has begun in front of Stewart Hall for new decorative “SHIP” letters, which is funded by the Class of 1973 as a gift to the university 50 years after their graduation.
President Joe Biden listed his administration’s accomplishments and goals to provide a contrast between himself and former President Donald Trump in his 2024 State of the Union address. The speech on March 8 was less than 36 hours after Nikki Haley withdrew from the GOP primary, making Trump the presumptive nominee to challenge Biden’s re-election.
The 2024 presidential race narrowed following the expected election results from Super Tuesday, held on March 5 in 16 states and American Samoa. Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia held primaries on Super Tuesday. The Democratic party held a caucus in American Samoa in place of Alaska.
Shippensburg University’s Frederick Douglass Institute (FDI) hosted the “Black is the Color of Love” panel and discussion Tuesday to shed light on black love and intimacy. Sharnine Herbert, liaison for FDI, introduced the organization, the panelists and the purpose of the event. Each panelist had a specific topic to present and educate the audience on, all of which surrounded the topic of black love.
Several hot-button campus issues such as recent car break-ins, room selection frustrations and the electric scooter ban were discussed at last week’s President’s Hour. Students were encouraged to both listen and raise concerns to President Charles Patterson and members of the campus staff, which included representatives from housing, maintenance, SUPD, the Dean of Students, the Office of Equity and Inclusion and more. Adam Beam moderated questions.
Actions speak louder than words, but I would be lying if I said words were not hitting pretty hard right now. As my managing editor Connor wrote in his piece last week, we have experienced a surge of hot topics in in our news coverage. Subsequently, we have more readers than ever, which is a blessing no matter the cost.
As Americans, it is valuable to stay up to date with conflicts happening outside of our border that our country is involved in. Just because the fighting is not in our town does not mean that we are separated from the events.
The Student Government Association (SGA) wrapped up its spring 2024 executive leadership committee election March 1. Of a student population numbering more than 4,000, only 49 ballots were submitted, according to SGA administrative assistant Lisa Laughlin. This equates to roughly 1% voter turnout from the student body. Only one name was on the ballot for five open officer positions. Several candidates did, however, run successful write-in campaigns.
Higher education is on track to receive a massive overhaul. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro introduced in January his vision for a new system of higher education that unites Pennsylvania’s community colleges with PASSHE under a new umbrella. The Slate sat down with Shapiro and Shippensburg University President Charles Patterson in recent weeks to discuss the proposed changes and what they would mean for Shippensburg’s campus community.
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey was labeled a “man of inaction” by Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick Friday as McCormick spoke during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Shippensburg University’s selection process for on-campus housing suffered severe technical hiccups, leaving many students irate. The selection initially opened on Feb. 13, but server overload caused the process to shut down partway through and was reopened on Feb. 22.
