• Karisa Hernandez khernandez84@alamo.edu
   President

• Samantha Triana striana3@alamo.edu
   Vice President

• Raquel Hernandez rhernandez796@alamo.edu
   Secretary of Business and Treasury

• Thuong "Tee" Nguyen Tnguyen126@alamo.edu
   Senator of Campus Operations

• Cynthia Treviño ccarrillo1@alamo.edu
   Senator of Public Relations

• Matthew Sanchez-Sandoval msanchez-sandoval@alamo.edu
   Senator of Student Activities

• Justine De Los Santos jdelossantos38@alamo.edu
   Senator of Curriculum and Instruction

• Rigo Amaya ramaya007@yahoo.com
   Senator of Student Services

The Palo Alto Student Government Association is the voice of the student body and is available to serve all students' needs.

The main concern of this year's executive committee is that many students are not informed about the various clubs, events and services available to them. They recently attended a convention in Washington, D.C., to help them better assist Palo Alto's students.

Cynthia Treviño, Senator of Public Relations, stated her personal goals from the perspective of her position on the SGA. "I want to promote the act of unity with others on campus to better Palo Alto," and "to make Palo Alto a place that has several positive activities to offer to its students."

While on their trip, they gained knowledge from other SGAs around the United States, and they exchanged thoughts and ideas. Their main goals are to update students about current events and issues on campus, and not only get them involved, but keep them active with clubs and organizations.

One controversial issue that is a topic of discussion for the current SGA is the idea of Single Accreditation, an action that the chancellor of the Alamo Colleges is considering. This would cause all of the Alamo Colleges to merge together to become one accredited college instead of five separate colleges.

"Many students may think that this is not a big deal, or that it may not affect them in any way," said Karisa Nicole Hernandez, president of Palo Alto's SGA. The facts are still very vague as to what exactly would happen if the Single Accreditation issue is passed, but it will, in one way or another, impact the entire student body. Matthew Sanchez-Sandoval, senator of Student Activities, sits on a Single Accreditation Committee at District to present the opinions of Palo Alto students. He is taking any comments, concerns and input from students via e-mail at msanchez-sandoval@alamo.edu.

Financial Aid is another topic that concerns the SGA. Most students, whether new or returning, seem to be having difficulties with assistance from the Financial Aid Department. "Many times students submit their Financial Aid paper work and are not sure what the process is like or what actions to take afterwards," said Samantha Triana, Vice President of the SGA.

To help address this matter, the SGA is planning to organize a committee made up of students who are able to assist the Financial Aid Department to educate all students about the proper process needed when dealing with Financial Aid. This committee would also help answer any frequently asked questions.

The SGA hosts events and performs community service to give back to the students, the community and the campus. This year, SGA is helping with the Go Green! ¡Viva Verde! campus recycling program by picking up recyclables in the Student Center/Cafeteria daily.

The SGA also hosts events to bring students together and get them involved. Some events they have done in the past include the Palomino Luncheon, Club Fair, Mexican Bingo and Movie Night. SGA strives to attract more students' interest by hosting even more events, such as these coming soon:

•Paloween: Oct. 30, 2009, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. An event that will take place on campus to give students the opportunity to have a safe environment to celebrate Halloween with their family and friends.

•Battle of the Bands: Nov. 13, 2009, 10 a.m. onward. A competitive event that will allow students and members of the community to enjoy a diverse array of musical talent.

•Christmas Door Decoration: Dec. 4, 2009. A competition between clubs and organizations that will help bring the holiday spirit alive.

The SGA strives to make the lives of students easier and more interesting while on campus. The students at Palo Alto can greatly benefit from the SGA by taking advantage of having representatives who speak up for students' concerns and needs. The input of Palo Alto's students is always welcomed, and students may become involved with the SGA at any point.

Meetings are held every Tuesday, in the Student Center, Room 115, time and date is subject to change. You may reach SGA officers in their office, (210) 486-3129, or drop by the Student Center, Room 115.

To obtain more information on the SGA officers, please visit them on Facebook at pacsga or via e-mail to any officer listed in the box to the left.