It’s official: the 2020 Fall semester began on Monday, Aug. 24. And given the months of summer social distancing, we wanted to share the exciting news that TMCC’s Student Government Association is offering you an opportunity to connect with two weeks of events intended to get you back into the Back to School spirit... TMCC-style.
Granted, this year’s event will look and feel a little different. “Originally our event planners worked with our Student Life and Development Associate, Keith Bingham, and they came up with the idea for the virtual events,” said SGA President Alyssa Fromelius. “We also wanted to make sure students had their school supplies and everything they’d typically get from us, like the TMCC planners. We made sure that everybody still had the ability to get those things and it would be accessible to everyone, so we are hosting these events at all the TMCC locations.”
If you want to ramp-up your back to school spirit, swing by one of the walk-through or drive-through events to pick up your very own welcome bag, which contains a TMCC-branded mask, a planner, multi-tools, hand sanitizer, pencils, notebooks, to name a few items. “It’s basically everything students will need,” said SGA Vice President Darian Richards.
There will be over 900 welcome back bags available, and they will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. If supplies run out, interested students can email the SGA with "Welcome Week Bag" as the subject line and their contact information to request a bag. The SGA will let you know when the bags have arrived for pick up.
TMCC’s SGA will be handing out over 900 welcome bags at events at TMCC locations for the next two weeks.
If you’re a student who’s taking classes at the Dandini Campus, look for your SGA officers and senators at the drop-off area between the Red Mountain Building outside the bookstore and the Library entrance to the Sierra Building. On Monday, Aug. 24 and Tuesday, Aug. 25 you’ll find the SGA curbside from 10 a.m.–Noon and 4–6 p.m. If you have classes in the afternoon, stop by the same location from Noon–2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and Thursday, Aug. 27.
In addition to the opportunity to get some sweet TMCC-swag, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the Wizards Warehouse will join the SGA. “They will be handing out food to those in need like they typically do,” said Fromelius.
These grab-and-go pre-packaged bags will include: cereal, canned fruit and vegetables, pasta-ready boxes, juice, chips, pancake mix and rice, among other assorted food items. “We will also be providing a list of other local pantries, Mobile Harvest schedules, as well as information on SNAP and WIC,” said Cameron Tuttle, Coordinator for the TMCC Counseling Center.
Wizard’s Warehouse will also join the SGA at select events with bags filled with food items for those in need.
So, stop by if you need a little extra help, our Wizard’s Warehouse staff can connect you to the resources that can help support you.
But what if I’m not at the Dandini Campus?
If you’re a student who takes classes at some other TMCC location, fear not: our amazing SGA has kept you in mind, too. On Monday, Aug. 31, the SGA and Wizard’s Warehouse will stop by the Meadowood Center 11 a.m.– 1 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 1 and 2, respectively), the SGA will visit the Pennington Health Science Center from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Wizard’s Warehouse will also be at the Tuesday event.
Thursday, Sept. 3, the SGA will visit the Pennington Applied Technology Center from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
“Even though everything is virtual, we still want to create those bonds with students and to provide things for them, and make sure they know that we are here representing them, using our voice to make sure they’re heard,” said Richards. “We’re still here, we’re still holding office hours, we’re still making sure that if they have questions, or need things, we are here to provide them.”
Your college is a part of your life, said Richards. It’s important that you engage with it as much as you can.
Virtual Open Houses
If you’re not able to participate in the Welcome Week Drive up/ Walk Up events, the SGA still has you covered! Join them for one of two Virtual Open Houses happening on Facebook Live on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and Thursday, Aug, 27 from 4–6 p.m.
“The Virtual Open House is just a chance to get to know us,” said Fromelius. “Because we can’t be on campus and meet with students all the time, the virtual events will give us an opportunity to meet with students.” These meeting times are important to Fromelius, who said that making sure that TMCC students feel supported is one of her top priorities.
“Even though we are online, I want to make sure students still have the resources that they used to have on campus while they are online is really important to me. That’s making sure they have access to proper technology, be on stable wi-fi, and so on. And making sure they feel emotionally supported as well. I’m looking forward to seeing what senators put forward as projects this year and seeing what the students need as well,” said Fromelius.
So far, the SGA has several ongoing events planned for the semester to keep students involved. These include weekly game nights every Tuesday from 6:30-8 p.m. On Fridays, the SGA will host virtual concerts. More details will be provided about the specific times of those concerts on the SGA’s social media channels. This programming is planned to start the third week of classes, after the two weeks of Welcome Week events are wrapped up.
The main point of these events? Get to know your SGA Officers and Senators—they are your advocates for change.
“It’s not scary to approach us, we’re very open to hearing everyone’s ideas and we really want to hear what students think and what they want on our campus. Even if it’s not necessarily a positive thing, we still want to know that as well,” said Fromelius.
It’s Still Not Too Late to Join the SGA
If you like helping others, consider joining the SGA as a Senator. You, too, could make a difference!
If you’re feeling disconnected and you want to get involved at TMCC, consider becoming an SGA Senator. There are three positions open and if you meet the basic requirements, you could find a great way to ease that “bored in the house” feeling and replace it with an experience that will provide invaluable leadership experience, and open doors of opportunity.
Aside from committing to the extra time, potential SGA Senators should have a passion for representing other students.
“You really have to be passionate about using your voice. Even if you’re an introvert it’s something you can do—you can get involved. You have to be willing to use your voice to represent the student body. It’s one of the best things that I’ve done thus far at TMCC because I’m learning so much and getting to work with such amazing people. Getting involved in the SGA will open so many doors,” said Richards.
For more information about TMCC’s Student Government Association, contact their office at 775-673-7203.