The Student Government Association wants Northern Kentucky University students to know it exists. To accomplish this, it has decided to give away free blue books to students, complete with a stamp on front reminding students who gave it to them, and make them exclusively available in the SGA office.

“We hope by bringing them into the office that they will talk to us if they have any concerns or anything like that,” Secretary for Public Relations Mike Johnson announced in the most recent SGA meeting Nov. 15. He encouraged members to announce the availability of these free blue books to their friends and in their clubs and organizations.

Professors often require students to purchase their own blue books, which are small books of ruled paper, to use during exams. These cost very little but can add up.

SGA is also hoping to get some attention by giving away money to students.

Applications are being accepted for the Scott Wurster Book/Special Needs grants, and any NKU student can make a case for why they deserve a little extra dough to pay for his or her books or accommodations.

SGA will make small awards to select students who apply. While the criteria for who is chosen is unclear, the application asks for the student’s grade point average, community service involvement, campus organization involvement, and leadership experience. It also requires three references.

All completed applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19. The application and submission instructions are available on The Northerner’s website at http://tinyurl.com/bookmoney. Applications are also available in hard-copy at the SGA Office.

Also, in an effort to attract attention to SGA, the Executive Board decided to allocate some of the student government budget to pay for the printing t-shirts for Homecoming. SGA will be included in a list of sponsors on the shirt.

Students need to know the organization exists because SGA needs new senators again.

SGA President Kevin Golden announced that two senators, Emmy Jennings and Spencer Harden, resigned. He hopes to fill their positions before the end of the semester.

Applications for those positions will be made available soon and students interested can contact the office for more information.

In old business, the SGA revised the revised proposed legislation on creating a ride share board before taking it to a vote. The resolution passed by a vote of 20-1. Two senators abstained from voting.

The resolution states the SGA’s support for the university’s idea to create an information center for students to communicate travel plans and invite companions in return for gas money. Students without cars may benefit from the program, according to John Jose, one of the resolution’s sponsors.

However, that rationale was not expressed in the language of the resolution. Instead, SGA supported its call with a list of environmental concerns, including decreasing NKU’s carbon footprint and on decreasing traffic congestion. It failed, however, to note in the language of the resolution how the ride share board would help accomplish those goals or whether there was sufficient student interest to make the project worthwhile.

Options of exactly how the board will be formed, whether physical or online, are still being worked out. Either could come at a cost to students.

The SGA Office is located on the third floor of the Student Union, Room 330.

Story by Jesse Call