Sam Houston State University’s Student Government Association met with Huntsville City Council members and other city employees Tuesday in order to help build relationships between the two groups as well as discuss problematic areas both face around Huntsville.
“It probably couldn’t have gone better,” External Affairs Chief Tyler Livzey said. “Just about everyone showed up who wanted to show up and everyone got along really well. We paired people up who hadn’t known each other and the entire time there was laughing, there was great conversation and things got done.”
City employees and SGA representatives discussed a range of issues in search of solutions.
“Anything [was discussed] from parking, to tailgating, to football games, to roads, to bike lanes,” Livzey said. “Just about anything that has ever been [a problem] was brought up, and I think more importantly, relationships were built.”
The city of Huntsville, according to Livzey, felt the luncheon was just as productive.
“The mayor and the city council loved the chance to meet the students and the faculty,” Livzey said. “The city and the faculty don’t get to meet for informal reasons, they meet for projects that they have to work on together.”
After student representatives voiced their compliments and concerns, the next step on behalf of both parties is progression in any way possible.
“Some of the students are more motivated than ever to create change now that they know who [to talk to] or what they need to do,” Livzey said. “Getting guidance on [what to do] was something important to them.”
For any problematic situations on campus or around Huntsville, Livzey encourages Bearkats to approach SGA members, who are now enabled to reach out to city employees in search of solutions.
“As a city council member, you have to have an issue brought to you before you can react to it,” Livzey said. “You can’t be proactive, you have to be reactive and they were so glad that they were able to see these issues and they know the students care. That’s one of the biggest things. They don’t know the students care if students don’t come to them.”