The Student Government Association has many ideas they’re pushing to implement during the fall semester led by the duo of SGA President Clayton Fowler and Vice President Janell Orozco.

The items Fowler and Orozco wish to accomplish first are the transportation issues we have at Bakersfield College with the Golden Empire Transit buses. Many students have gone to SGA to raise their concerns with GET raising prices making it harder for students to come to class.

Fowler did not hesitate to contact the GET bus representatives to offer BC students the same luxury discount that Cal-State Bakersfield students have. With a seven percent increase in students at an estimate enrollment of about 19,000 students, Fowler learned that the BC campus is not the only thing becoming crowded; the increased enrollment is also affecting the GET buses.

Students have expressed their fear of riding the buses because, with all the additional students using GET as their primary source of transportation, it’s causing the buses to lean around turns.

After contacting GET previously, Fowler reached out one more time to see if GET could offer extra buses on the routes that are needed.

Transportation is not only an issue with students on campus, but it is also affecting the students that are in SGA, as many students take night classes that end between 9-10 p.m. and SGA meetings taking place in the evenings.

The SGA is aware of the hours of operation for GET, and once Fowler solves the previous issues he is hoping to have GET extend their hours of operation for BC students.

Fowler detailed the main focus of SGA.

“Building that community on campus, that is our main umbrella,” he said. “We want to connect more with the students, staff, and alumni. We really want to bring that ‘We Are BC’ motto to life and have people be proud of that.”

Orozco said, “Our goal is to be more transparent and to build that trust with the students. We want to show that your student fees are not being spent poorly, and there is a lot of thought process on where and how the money is spent.”

Both Fowler and Orozco have planned to set up informational booths on campus this year, inviting students to come up and engage with not only Fowler and Orozco, but as well as the rest of the SGA team. They’re both hoping this is a better way to build their relationship with students, hoping they become more vocal as well as comfortable to raise their concerns.

Once the informational booths are set up, Fowler is hoping to give students information on the Kern Value Cards. Students have an opportunity to get KVC cards at registration for $15, but Fowler stated that they’re already saving $19.50 on these cards but that’s not the only savings students receive.

KVC cards also offer 10 free Scantrons, two free blue books, faxes, copies, and two free football tickets for on campus games. These discounts are not only restricted to the BC campus, but the card also offers discounts from many vendors that range from Subway all the way to discounted Disneyland tickets.

The long-term goal for SGA is to bring that community feel to the BC campus. They’re in the process of developing a student life mobile application that sends notifications to student’s phones to bring the campus together by also reminding them about activities in the quad, sporting events, and even dances.

“Once we build that communication with student government and students, and  once students get the ideology that student government is here for the students, we will get that community feeling on campus,” Fowler said. “It’s the students who come up with these ideas and changes. It’s just the student government who implements them.”