By Rebecca Wyatt, OU Web Writer

Michael McGuinness, president of Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC), presented his State of the Student Body address Feb. 9 in the Oakland Center Fireside Lounge. He also used the opportunity to host the Student Congress’s open forum for students to ask questions and provide feedback about student life at OU.

McGuinness highlighted all of the changes on campus that enhance student life and services, including the Student Technology Center, Student Resource Center, Gender and Sexuality Center, and renovations to the Oakland Center Gold Rooms and Vandenberg Dining Center.

OUSC also is enhancing the services it provides to students, amending its budget to provide more scantrons and blue books, instituting the newspaper readership program to bring free newspapers to campus, continuing to offer the OUSC student of the month parking spot and hosting the first Student Employee Appreciation Week.

Student Program Board, an arm of Student Congress, continues to put on high-quality entertainment for the student body including the group 112. The Student Life Lecture Board also has brought high-profile speakers to campus for engaging lectures, including James Earl Jones and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Many of the events on campus have been a direct result of the nearly $200,000 in student activity money that has been allocated by the Student Activities Funding Board.

While OU continues to find ways to bring more activities and services to students, McGuinness added that it has done so in the face of state budget cuts.

“The contributions from the state continue to erode,” McGuinness said. However, students have begun a letter writing campaign to the State of Michigan encouraging more money go towards higher education.

Some students even had the opportunity to meet with policy makers during OU Day at the Capital in November.

“Never doubt the power of our students coming together and demanding change,” McGuinness said.

McGuinness also used the address to note the accomplishments of WXOU, 88.3 FM, OU’s on-campus radio station. He presented Rob Frank, general manager of WXOU, with a certificate of commendation for the rejuvenated radio station and hopes the station will “keep the momentum going.”

Elections for next year’s Student Congress are March 27-29. Anyone interested in getting involved in student government at OU is encouraged to pick up an information packet from the Student Congress Office, 40 Oakland Center.