Eight Eastern delegates to the annual Conference of Student Government Associations returned home Tuesday with new ideas and a better appreciation of the Student Government’s role at Eastern.

The three-day, 150-school conference, held at Texas A&M University, went “exceptionally well” for the Eastern delegates, said Art Davis, student vice president for student affairs.

“I think the (senate members) and executives who went got a lot out of the experience,” Davis said.

Besides Davis, seven other Student Government members attended: Student Body President Katie Cox; Adam Weyhaupt, speaker of the student senate; Kristen Rutter, student vice president for academic affairs; and senate members Jessica Catto, Hugh O’Hara, Joe Robbins and Yve Williams.

Davis, Cox, Weyhaupt and Rutter gave presentations to conference attendees on student fees and student representation on university committees and boards.

“We had a lot of good conversations with other schools about how they can give students a voice in the student fee process,” Rutter said

Weyhaupt, said that after speaking to delegates from other schools, he felt Eastern’s Student Government was pretty lucky.

“Students have a lot of involvement on this campus,” Weyhaupt said.

Davis said that the Eastern delegation traded advice and

ideas with students from around the country.

“We gave some schools some suggestions, and we received some suggestions,” Davis said.

Davis said he received suggestions about combating student apathy, improving school spirit, and holding a “big event for diversity.”

Weyhaupt also said he picked up some ideas from the conference, but would not say what they were.

O’Hara said he picked up better ways to relate to the student media.

“It’s hard to be around 500 motivated students and not pick up ideas,” Rutter said.

Rutter said the conference was very worthwhile.

“It was a good experience. We learned some things and taught other people some things,” she said.