Featured Image: SGA members listen to the advisory report given by President Bailey Parker on Thursday, April 9, at the Student Government Association meeting. (Pacer Photo / Madison Perryman)

On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the Student Government Association (SGA) held its biweekly meeting in the University Center room 111 (Legislative Room). Within the meeting, they discussed several topics involving both students and faculty. 

The meeting kicked off with an open house where Vice Chancellor and Chief Info Officer Amy Belew proposed a question to SGA: Should the school move away from having computer labs and have more computers available to be checked out?

The current rotation of computers available to be checked out by students have been fully used since school began back in August.

The Office of Information Technology Services is looking for student input on what works best and what would be most beneficial for the campus. SGA agreed to help with promoting the survey that the office released last week. 

The next item on the budget was the Freshman Council Spring Fling event taking place on Tuesday, April 14. Senate members strongly encouraged others to share the event and invite their friends to come out, and discussed event details including laser tag, inflatables, axe-throwing and 3v3 basketball. Students will also be able to enter giveaways by bringing in hygiene products. Every product a student brings equals one entry into a giveaway; highlighted prizes include a TV, an iPad, a JBL speaker and more. 

The last item on the budget was the Meet and Greet with the Deans event, which is currently scheduled for Thursday, April 23 beginning at 11 a.m. The deans of each college will be located in their respective buildings, available for students to ask questions and discuss different topics. 

After the meeting, the new SGA president-elect Ella Self, along with her vice president Bailey Parker, answered questions. 

As Parker takes over a new role, she reflected on her time as president.

“During my tenure, I focused on improving student engagement, accessibility and transparency. I led the execution of the Canvas Wellness Page to make mental health and campus resources easier for students to find, meeting them where they already are. I also helped organize an open forum with the Chancellor, giving students a direct line of communication with university leadership. One of the most meaningful impacts came through Dancing with the Skyhawks, which paired students and faculty in a collaborative and engaging way. I also supported the Unity Project, which promoted inclusivity and connection. Also, initiatives like Office Hours on the Go allowed SGA leadership to step outside traditional spaces and have more student-focused conversations across campus,” said Parker. “Through consistent social media posting and hosting more engaging, student-centered events, SGA became more visible, approachable, and connected to the student body.”

Parker continued on about her experience with “Dancing with the Skyhawks,” and she also mentioned how much she enjoyed being able to be the voice for the student body when it came to forums and speaking directly to the chancellor. She also talked about how the role of the president has changed ideas on leadership and challenged her in many ways. Parker said she found ways to communicate clearly and adapt her plan when things went wrong. Along with the importance of working with others to help get things done, she also recognized the importance of not overwhelming herself. 

On paper, it may seem that Parker has taken a step back from being president to being vice president, but she explained that this is not the case.

“As Vice President, I expect to hold myself to a high standard of accountability, collaboration and consistency,” said Parker. “I plan to meet those expectations by staying engaged with students, supporting senators and committees, and ensuring that initiatives get acted upon.”

She continued to explain that she wants to use the Freshman Council to inspire the future generation of students to become leaders on the UT Martin campus and to be the voice for students. Parker knows the importance of getting involved early as someone who started her career in the freshman council and has helped her become the person she is now. 

As vice president, Self explained the impact that being an advisor for the freshman council had on her.

“All of our Freshman Council members have grown greatly over the year, and I’m excited to see how they will each contribute to UTM’s campus,” said Self. 

Self enjoyed being able to lead a group of young students in a positive direction, along with assisting them in the creation and planning of the Unity Project and Spring Fling events. 

As she prepares to begin her new role as president, she wanted to emphasize the importance of sticking to her campaign goals and keeping the promises she made to the student body, along with making students feel like they were heard when change is actually happening.