The big topics at Thursday night’s SGA meeting were attendance problems and the Santa’s Village toy drive.

After roll had been taken, and yearbook pictures had been made, the various SGA committees briefed members what they had done since the last meeting.

It was after this that the discussion of the meeting’s main topics began.

Chief Justice Beau Pemberton reminded SGA about its attendance policies; each member is allowed two absences.

Secretary General Jason Rushing read aloud the names of senators who had absences, and the only senator with deficiencies was John Rippy, who had missed two and a half meetings.

Vice President Nikki Draper then moved to have a discussion over whether to keep Rippy or leave his seat vacant. When asked about the absences, Rippy explained that one absence was during Rush, and another was due to a family emergency.

The half absence was due to Rippy coming into one meeting after roll had been taken; he pointed out that roll had been held three minutes too early that meeting.

Student Justice Daniel Herndon explained that the absences are set aside for “family emergencies, or whatever else might come up.”

“We understand,” said Beau Pemberton. “These things happen.”

SGA voted unanimously to allow Rippy to keep his seat. The other big topic at Thursday’s meeting was the upcoming toy and canned good drive for the annual Santa’s Village event.

Next week and the week after, students can donate toys, money and canned goods to Santa’s Village.

SGA will have tables set up in the UC and in the dorms. Items can be dropped off at these tables from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. on the following dates; Monday Nov. 25, Tuesday Nov. 26, Monday Dec. 2 and Tuesday Dec. 3.

Nikki Draper reminded SGA members to sign up for times and days.

She told them that the goods would be dropped off on Dec.5, which would count as an unofficial meeting; attendance will be mandatory for SGA members.

In other business: -Freshman Council President Kevin Teets and Nikki Draper gave congratulations for the highly successful Freshman Council Talent Show.

While official attendance numbers were not known, Draper said that every seat in the Watkins auditorium had been filled.

-Minority Affairs Committee Chair Justin Dyer moved to have the Minority Affairs Meet and Greet rescheduled to next semester. The motion was approved.

-President Eric Tolbert opened floor discussion for possible topics for a Civil Rights Conference Debate or Workshop, which would be next semester in February. The tentative date was given as February 21.

However, it was brought up that this date might conflict with the High School Leadership conference.

The senate voted to hold discussion about the workshop until the next meeting, when a schedule could be brought.