Being involved is an important aspect of building a sense of belonging, whether that’s as minute as being part of a friend group or being part of a large institution. So, in excitement to go out and further explore what goes on at NC State, I decided to attend a Student Government meeting. Particularly, I went to the rescheduled meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6, as that was what my schedule allowed.

After leaving class, I made my way into the Student Government meeting. Upon entering, I was met with various SG members amiably asking me what I came here to do. After I inquired about the Board of Elections meeting, they nicely introduced me to the chair of the Board of Elections Samantha Saunders, a fifth-year studying polymer and color chemistry and anthropology.

Saunders excitedly asked me if I was interested in the Board of Elections, to which I replied that I was here for Technician. She joked that she was hoping I would be part of the public and not the press, but nonetheless, she was happy to have me come in and write a piece.

The Board of Elections is a small group of students, so for this particular meeting we were able to meet inside one of the small conference rooms in the Student Government section in Talley Student Union. Most of the members came in on time and struck up small conversations, both with each other and with me. The members quickly shed off their anxiety towards me, the prying opinion media, and eased up into their normal demeanor. The meeting started at 8:05 p.m., after which I was professionally signed in as a member of the public.

Luckily, I happened to stumble into the meeting where voting on internal positions took place. Some of the positions up for application were vice chair, secretary, finance manager, pulling chair, publishing chair and web master.

Being a small group, most of the members ended up with a designated role they eagerly applied for. These votes were very calm, with no one raising eyebrows or enticing arguments. It was clear to me that the Board of Elections members were acquainted with each other. The room had chill vibes, like stumbling into a group of new friends talking about their group project.

“They’re like my babies,” Saunders said after the meeting. “We try to keep the meetings both professional and approachable.”

After elections quickly went by, the main discussion of the meeting was dedicated to referenda updates. Most of it regarded the election dates for the spring semester, working on a proposition to reschedule the timing of votes so that they can sort out kinks regarding candidate interaction, posting results in real time and increasing voter turnout in elections. Personally, I found a lot of this fascinating, as it gave me a look into the logistics of Student Government from a lens that wasn’t the Senate.

By 8:40 p.m., we moved on to the Student Government handbook. The members tackled wording problems, raised quiz scores of acceptance for Student Government members and specified dates. It was interesting to see them pick apart the handbook and then send it off so that it would be accepted by the other checks and balances in Student Government.

The night ended exactly at 9 p.m., with Saunders stating that she was looking to get reconfirmed and an anonymous survey regarding her performance was to be sent out to the other Board of Election members. She was adamant on it being honest, as she genuinely wanted criticisms on how she could improve as a leader.

Student Government has a reputation for being problematic, so I came in anxious that I would come out fuming. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. I instead stumbled upon a small group of students eagerly trying their best in their positions, with genuine excitement at having people involved. Meetings are open to the public every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., and I encourage students to check out a Board of Elections meeting. The members are more than welcoming, and honestly, the meetings are more entrancing than they seem.