As the effects of Halloween have finally worn off and exams loom in the not-too distant future, there is a lull in our typical fast-paced lives as students.

We in student government are taking this time to stop and reflect on the journey we have taken since beginning our term last April. The October Report chronicles all of student government’s activities in the past seven months and is one way we maintain transparency in everything we do. Looking back on the goals and aspirations we began with, we think we have stayed true to our steadfast mission of always working for the benefit of students.

We started this summer with the entering freshmen students at CTOPS, introducing them to life as UNC students. They have brought an incredible amount of vitality and diversity to our campus community. As the fall semester unfolded, our committees quickly engaged with their projects — reaching out to hear student opinion, creating new events and positively impacting our campus.

We have continued successful programs such as the STRETCH conference (STudents REaching Toward CHange), Excelling Through Mentoring, and SafeWalk while also finding new ways to improve the impact and role these traditional programs play in the lives of UNC students. This year’s FallFest was bigger and better than ever, with student government helping to organize student organizations into categories so they would be easier to navigate.

The Arts Innovation Steering Committee launched in October, bringing together key UNC community members and students to transform the life of arts at Chapel Hill. Students have continued to be represented at all levels of the University administration, on topics from energy-efficient practices to new technology.