Collegiate Times

Students mark their concerns on the T-shirts of SGA members.

Virginia Tech could soon undergo an "extreme campus makeover," at the hand of its own student community with statistical information gathered by the Student Government Association's campaign for campus change.

Members of the constituent outreach committee of SGA manned two locations polling students' opinions in five categories: sustainability, enrollment, a required diversity class, a 24-hour studying facility and smoking on campus. Students placed star stickers on a scale of 1 to 10 judging the relevance of each topic to their needs.

Two boards were stationed at high-traffic locations on the Drillfield and adjacent to the Prices Fork parking lot near Bishop Farvao Hall.

Students who chose to participate in the polling and had specific concerns were given markers to write on white T-shirts worn by SGA representatives. Pollers highlighted their desire to improve sustainability on campus, and opening a 24-hour study facility.

SGA President Emily Mashack said the student opinion initiative had been an annual activity and only last year materialized into a more proactive program. Mashack emphasized an ideal way for students to express their opinions for how to improve the university is participation

"It's a more hands-on experience than a survey, or writing on a normal piece of paper," Mashack said. She said the statistical information they collect from these boards will be used to generate a report that will be presented to SGA's executive and legislative branches. From there, Mashack said the report will be presented to the Board of Visitors' by undergraduate representative Arlane Gordon-Bray.

She said properly executing these suggestions and changes necessitates moving them through an extended chain of command, and ideas have to be passed, and approved by, many people before they can be employed.

"Hopefully some of these changes come to life," Mashack said. "But probably not happening this year. There is a good chance freshmen or sophomores will see these changes in their careers here."

Lauren Jean Bradberry, a sophomore ocean engineering major, and member of SGA, said about 1,000 students had participated between the two polling sites. By 4 p.m., more than 6,000 star stickers had been used. She said the idea was to "bring the needs of the students to the administrators, though solid polling."

The polling will continue today on the Drillfield and at the Prices Fork lot to allow as many students to participate as possible.