SGA discusses funding for student events and the controversy of Johnnie Moore
By KATHERINE ZHU · The Johns Hopkins News-Letter · September 29, 2025
On Tuesday, Sept. 23 the Student Government Association (SGA) met for a general body meeting. After opening procedures, President of the Senate Srigouri Oruganty transitioned into the first reading of the night.
The first bill was introduced by Junior Class Senator Mamadou Thiam and presented by the social chairs from the Muslim Student Association. The organization requested funding for the Fall Rooftop Barbecue, an annual event hosted by the University’s graduate and undergraduate Muslim Student Associations. Then, Chair of the Civic Engagement Committee Kirsten Amemastro and Chair of Programming Tyler Turner introduced a second bill to ask for funding for a National Day of Failure tabling event. The National Day of Failure is a Finnish holiday observed every Oct. 13 to celebrate failure as an integral part of learning and growing. The funds would go towards items such as Post-It notes, dry erase markers, cookies and mini microphones. Both bills were passed and moved to the finance committee.
Afterwards, the meeting transitioned to non-legislative business, where Senator Zaynab Mirza presented on the controversy of Johnnie Moore, a visiting fellow at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute. She highlighted his position as executive chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an organization that is at risk of legal liability for being complicit in war crimes in Gaza. Senator Mirza proposed inviting Professor Hahrie Han, director of SNF Agora, to a discussion with SGA.
Discussion and questions on this issue were moved to closed session, after which the meeting concluded.