University-wide events and opportunities to be held

Liberty University’s Student Government Association has a mission to be the bridge that connects students with administration. SGA holds many university-wide events tailored towards gathering feedback and creating culture at Liberty, many of which provide students with the opportunity to be candid about their thoughts on the university.

Whether it’s putting on a Town Hall meeting with Liberty President Dondi Costin or holding weekly feedback councils with students, SGA is following through with their plans for the semester.  

One of the first events SGA held this year was a Town Hall meeting between students, faculty and Costin. Daniel Hostetter, president of the SGA, said that they went over hot topics like parking, curfew and the notorious dancing rule. 

“We had about an hour-long conversation where we asked (Costin) some pretty real and tough questions about his vision for Liberty and what he’s looking to accomplish in his first year,” Hostetter said. “That’s to advance our relationship with President Costin, which will make us better advocates for the student body, but also to connect him with students and hear
their concerns.”

The SGA doesn’t always host events by itself, though. Before Liberty’s football team played New Mexico State on Saturday, Sept. 9, the SGA partnered with LUnatics to throw the first ever residential tailgate and bring the student body together before the game. A total of 25 halls signed up for the tailgate. Another tailgate will be held Oct. 5, and with more than 35 halls signed up, over 2,000 students are expected to come together before the game.

“That’s going to be massive. It’s super unique in that it’ll bring the entire campus together before game day in a way that really hasn’t ever been done,” Hostetter said. “(We’re) hoping that will set an exciting kind of tradition and trajectory for student football experience for years to come. It’s exciting to help spearhead that effort.”

The SGA will continue to focus on internal student relations by hosting a Clubs Fair Oct. 6. The Academic Lawn will be the stopping point for countless clubs while students browse and inquire. The event will run from 1-5 p.m. and will help students branch out and talk to new people.

Liberty University’s Safety Week will take place Oct. 23-27, and the Office of Emergency Management & Community Engagement is partnering with the SGA to host a campus safety walk Thursday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. Campus clubs like Students Against Trafficking and Liberty Students Against Abuse will be participating in the campus walk as well. The goal of the walk is to identify any potential safety concerns on campus and make sure they are addressed by administration.

The SGA doesn’t only host large-scale events; in fact, hosting events is only a small part of what it does. Events are seen more as a vessel to improving Liberty’s internal culture of trust between the students and the administration. 

This is why the SGA holds weekly student feedback initiatives in which it sets up a table on campus and asks students questions about the university. Hostetter talked about what his role will be within the student feedback initiatives.

“Every week, I’m going to be tabling out among the student body to basically hear student feedback and turn that into actionable items,” Hostetter said. “Then we can take (that feedback) to the president, the chancellor, executive vice president and some of the people we work with.”

The SGA is learning from their successes, too. Weekly student feedback councils were enacted last year, with SGA members meeting up with students to discuss their thoughts on things like housing and dining. Hostetter said that the events were so successful, they had to bring them back this fall. 

To learn more about the SGA and the events they hold, visit their website or check out the SGA’s Instagram.

Napier is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X