SGA wants to know what matters to you

Student government asks for help with 2021 Tiger Pride Day

By Kyle Hobstetter on November 17, 2020

The Towson University Student Government Association (SGA) wants to hear from you.

Each January, Towson University hosts Tiger Pride Day in Annapolis to meet with members of the Maryland State Legislature and discuss bills that matter to college students.

To help participating students, the SGA puts together a legislative agenda that focuses on five to six bills on issues important to college-aged students in Maryland.

For the 2021 Tiger Pride Day, the SGA has created a special Tiger Pride Day survey to ask members of the TU community for their opinions on issues that will be discussed during the legislative session.

Paige Trzaskawka ‘23, the SGA’s director of legislative affairs, says its vital for the organization to get the opinions for those that they represent.

“If we're not representing everyone, how are we supposed to do our job?” Trzaskawka asks. “We want to give students the opportunity to really have a chance for input. We want to see Tiger Pride Day grow and develop to have as many people involved as possible.”

The survey features a variety of topics, including:

Independence of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from the University System of Maryland
Protection of freedom of speech on campuses
Students transferring in getting more course credits counted
Increase in mental health resources for students in higher education
Police reform in the greater Maryland area
COVID-19, as it relates to higher education institutions
Laws concerning hate crimes on college/university campuses
Student loan forgiveness

Trzaskawka says she understands one of the big stereotypes of college students is that they aren’t involved with politics and policy. She’s hoping that with the results of the survey, and a more focused SGA legislative agenda, she’s able to prove to Maryland lawmakers that college students care about their future.

“Our age group is starting to realize that just because we are young adults, it doesn't mean that our voices matter any less,” Trzaskawka says. “We still have these opportunities to vote. And with Tiger Pride Day, we get to have these opportunities to speak directly to the people that are creating these laws.”

Usually Tiger Pride Day sees hundreds of TU students, faculty, staff and alumni travel to Annapolis to meet with legislators in-person.

But like most events this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into the usual planning. So, to accommodate physical distance protocols, the 2021 Tiger Pride Day will be held virtually, with students and legislators meeting through Zoom video conferences.

To learn more about Towson University SGA, as well as other events like Tiger Pride Day, follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland.