Student government will be sending a group of senators to Conference on Student Government Association in late February.

COSGA is a conference that brings together student governments from all across the nation in order to converge and share ideas.

This year, the delegates are senators Alex Boyd, Roberto Luna, and Zach Samples along with their adviser Ceci Brinker.

More than $4,000 from the apportionment board has been approved from student government in order to be used on this trip. Anything unused will be going right back within that budget.

“I am hoping to be able to come back to Eastern with a full set of ideas,” Samples said, confident that he will improve both Student Government and Eastern as a whole.

Boyd also expressed a lot of enthusiasm concerning the conference’s necessity.

“I think that attending this conference is very necessary because we cannot improve our student government unless we have a steady amount of new, fresh ideas,” Boyd said.

COSGA is hosted by Texas A&M University. The first COSGA took place in 1981 and has grown larger every year.

Last year’s delegates include senator Tommy Nierman, Vice President for Academic Affairs Jennifer Prillaman, and former Speaker Jason Sandidge.

Other delegates who have gone before them include senators Tyson Holder, Isaac Sandidge, and current Speaker Jarrod Scherle.

“It was an amazing experience,” Nierman said. “It was really inspirational. It helped me as a senator.”

Nierman said the delegates did bring a lot of ideas back from the conference; some which have been actualized this academic year.

“The Senators-in-Training came directly from COSGA,” Nierman said.

Prillaman, who also enjoyed the break from student government, has seen success with some programs.

“I took an idea and made Pizza with the Prez. We did it twice last semester, and the next one is next Monday,” Prillaman said.

Panther Nation was another idea that was adopted from COSGA as well.

“It is these ideas that come from COSGA, and are presented by our delegates that helps grow Eastern Illinois University, and its student Government at the same time,” Luna said.

The overall degree of optimism is very high.

“I know that I will come back from this conference refreshed and reenergized to work harder on behalf of Eastern Illinois University,” Samples said.

Each of the delegates already sees themselves able to improve our campus.

“When I first joined student government, I wanted to make a positive change, no matter how big or small that change is,” Luna said, stressing that the reason for his involvement with student government was for the students.

Boyd hopes to get the senators more actively involved with the students, especially with trying to find out exactly what they need more effectively.

“I hope that we can keep an open line of communication between the students so that we know what they want, and then can vote for their best interest,” Boyd said.

The delegates will be leaving for the conference Feb. 26 and will return March 4.

Jacob Swanson can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].