The academic year is in full swing and the Park Student Government Association is bringing new ideas into focus this year.

PSGA has already hosted a few events on campus this year including the Party Like a Pirate event, the activities fair and an all-campus picnic after Opening Convocation – all which were held during Welcome Week.

PSGA President Jeremy Barnes also said the group has been working to renovate their office in the underground, which is across from the library.

“We really hit the ground running this year and are primed to get a lot done for the student body,” he said.

With a large amount of PSGA’s members as sophomores this year, Barnes said it is really encouraging to see the excitement and energy to work hard.

“They all have lots of energy and new ideas to the meetings, which is a big step forward,” he said.

According to Barnes, PSGA’s two main focus points for this year will technology on campus and student transportation – particularly with the OATS bus Park used last year to help students without modes of transportation get off campus for local shopping trips.

Barnes recently reported PSGA will not use the OATS bus this year, as the price of the bus was too much with too few students using it. Previously, PSGA contracted with OATS to provide transportation for often international students to local grocery stores and essentials locations in the nearby area.

“With only five or six student using the bus last year, $300 was just too expensive for PSGA to be spending,” he said. “We decided it would be better to find another company to use and we have been looking for one.”

One of the transportation companies PSGA has been considered is a company called Uber, which has an office within the Kansas City area.

With this company, Barnes said, students who need a ride somewhere around Parkville or the Kansas City area will be able to get a ride for a much cheaper price.

Additionally, PSGA is also considering “picking up the tab” for each time a student uses Uber for a ride outside of campus, Barnes said.

According to Barnes, a $5 or $6 tab is more fiscally prudent than spending hundreds of dollars for a bus that only a small handful of students used last year.

While Barnes said this situation has not been confirmed yet, PSGA is considering the possibility of working with Uber in the future.

On the technology front, PSGA appointed Rob Van Eman, an Honors Academy student and senior computer science major, to the Educational Technology Advisory committee.

Barnes said Van Eman will also meet once a month with David Monchusie, chief information officer for Information Technology Services, to voice student concerns regarding technology.

“Rob is great in that area so it’ll be up to him to handle any technology issues students have,” Barnes said.

PSGA has also been busy with elections of new executive and senate members earlier this month, with six new members being elected.

“I was really excited when I found out that freshmen could run for actual positions in PSGA,” said Madisyn Pettit, freshmen senator and legal studies major. “I hope to bring fresh ideas or tactics on how to tackle another member’s idea in the most efficient way.

“I hope to spread awareness of common social issues throughout the school, thus further uniting and educating the students here. I want to not only make the students aware of popular topics, but I want them to feel the need to get involved and do something.”

PSGA meetings are held at 12:15 p.m. every Friday in the Louise Morden Boardroom in the academic underground and all students are invited to the general assembly meetings.

For more information on PSGA or voice any questions or concerns, students can send an email to [email protected].