Vice President of Internal Affairs Joseph Arthur introduces Bill 101.2 to the SGA’s legislative branch, Nov. 7. (George Svoboda)

The Student Government Association met on Nov. 7 to vote on new legislation and discuss MSU’s writing proficiency exam requirement. 

Two pieces of legislation were introduced, Bill 101.2, “International SIM Card Distribution Act” by Vice President of External Affairs Vincent Peter, and Bill 101.3, “The Student Honor Creed Revision Bill” by Vice President of Internal Affairs Joseph Arthur. 

Representatives vote to pass legislation, Nov. 7. (George Svoboda)

Peter is looking to provide incoming international students who are arriving in the United States for the first time with SIM Cards and a free one-month trial, powered by Mint Mobile through a company called campusSIMS. The Global Education Office will head this operation. 

“I was going through the Texas Tech System and I landed on an international students page, and I saw that they give their international students SIM cards for whenever the international students come in,” Peter said, “I contacted the Texas Tech International Office and they told me ‘Hey, yeah, we’d love to work with you, love to give you that information,’” he added. 

According to Peter, the GEO already takes incoming students to phone companies in Wichita Falls to help them get their phones set up, so working with campusSIMS will expedite the process. 

Peter’s Bill 101.2 passed unanimously.

Representatives work on legislation during the Nov. 7 SGA meeting, Nov. 7. (George Svoboda)

Arthur’s Bill 101.3 was also passed unanimously, aligning the Student Honor Creed to the five core values of MSU, established in 2021. The Student Honor Creed is part of the student handbook, so the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents must approve of the changes before they can take place. 

Interim Provost Margaret Brown Marsden spoke with the SGA body about MSU’s writing proficiency exam. MSU is the only university in Texas and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges to require the exam. Students graduating after 2024 will no longer need to take the exam and will instead take writing-intensive courses that fit in with their major. 

Three campus community fund requests, each $250, were approved for the African Student Organization, the Organization of Hispanic Students and Spanish Club to hold cultural events, or in the case of OHS, to be reimbursed for part of Viva MSU’s cost. 

The overall Homecoming winners were officially announced, with the Caribbean Students Organization and MSU Lions placing 3rd, Sigma Kappa/Kappa Sigma placing 2nd, and the Redwine Honors Program taking home first place. 

The final SGA meeting of the semester will take place on Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.