Bortoluzzi takes seat as new SGA president
By Emily Schmidt
University Communications Student Assistant
studentpio@minotstateu.edu
MINOT, N.D. – Janel Bortoluzzi takes her seat as the new president of the Minot State University Student Government Association (SGA).
Bortoluzzi, who is in the graduate program studying for her Master of Science in Communication Disorders: Speech-Language Pathology, was elected Spring 2019 after serving as a senator for the Minot State College of Education and Health Sciences since late Fall 2018. She also served as arts director at the University of Winnipeg while earning her undergraduate degree in psychology.
Having been part of the student life committee, the mental health committee, and the world university service of Canada during her undergraduate, Bortoluzzi takes office with experience working with a wide demographic of students.
“I feel like since I started university, I became very interested in politics,” she said. “I took a human rights course, a few conflict resolution classes, and through those classes and learning more about different world issues and different acts of nonviolent social change that are occurring around the world, and just learning about politics in general, I became very interested in being an advocate for students and being a voice for others.”
On top of her involvement in SGA, Bortoluzzi participates in several other organizations on campus, like Special Olympics, the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, and the Advancing Students Toward Education and Employment Program, and she works in the Minot State Student Activities Office.
Bortoluzzi has multiple goals for her time as SGA president, the first being to improve sustainability on the Minot State campus by implementing more recycling bins and double-sided printing capability.
She also wants to address students’ mental health.
“I think as a senate we’ve discussed forming a mental health committee in partnership with the Minot State Student Health and Development Center, just to focus on students’ metal health, how we can address their needs better, and how we can work with the counselors on campus to raise awareness about their area of expertise and how they can help students.”
Free menstrual products in the restrooms on campus are another addition she hopes to complete as SGA president.
Finally, Bortoluzzi is prioritizing increasing Minot State student involvement in SGA.
“I really hope to get more students involved and aware of SGA because I feel like a lot of students even don’t know we’re here. Our office is right in the middle of the Student Center,” she said. “Students should know that they’re always welcome in our office and always able to come in and talk about issues that they may be facing or concerns that they may have. I just want them to know that we’re a voice for them. I think it’d be awesome to have more student representation at our meetings, not just our senators but also students who may not be involved in SGA but are interested in what we’re doing.”
Minot State Student Government Association meetings are every second Monday at 7 p.m. in the Westlie room on the third floor of the Student Center. Email misu.sga@MinotStateU.edu for more information.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 10/04/19 |
