Newly elected SGA senators outline priorities for the year

Bennett Campus Center was filled with laughter and conversation on Wednesday as the newly elected Student Government Association (SGA) members made dirty sodas for over 100 students. 

The meet-and-greet allowed attendees to get to know their elected peer representatives and ask about the trajectory of the semester from a student government perspective.

Last week, a record number of students ran for SGA positions. 32 students ran for seven seats on the Freshman Leadership Council, and seven student hopefuls ran for senator vacancies in the sophomore, junior and senior classes. 

A desire to represent the greater student body was a common theme in the newly elected senators’ approaches. 

Sophomore Lily Weimer expressed an interest in actively engaging with her class by being “the person that can consolidate [different perspectives] and represent them well in a meeting.”

Similarly, freshman Greta Fox said, “I just want to be a voice for the freshman class so that they can direct any concerns or ideas they have to me, and I can be a voice on a larger scale.”

Other senators expressed an additional strategy: promoting student connections by organizing more events. 

Freshman Jackson Haynes pointed out that freshmen have a more difficult time finding friends. He believes events are an excellent way to encourage connectivity because they “get people to put aside their cliques and go for more of a broader audience.”

On a similar note, freshman Addy Falat connected increased student engagement to her personal experience.

“I don’t know anybody else here, so I definitely have experienced what it’s like to kind of have to navigate a new stage on your own,” she said. “We’re trying to throw a freshman fall event, and I want to make sure it’s as inclusive to all the different kinds of demographics as possible.”

Newly elected junior senator Harper Guthrie offered a slightly different perspective than the first-years, as an upperclassman.

“Upperclassman viewpoints are very beneficial because they have been here for a few years, so they’ve seen what has gone wrong,” she said.

Guthrie also described her commitment to “making sure that juniors and seniors don’t fall through the cracks as they finish off their time.”

As the newly elected senators begin their terms, Wednesday’s meet-and-greet brought them together with their peers and established new relationships within the SGA. The senators’ statements on Wednesday marked a shift from campaign promises to listening to student concerns and planning further action.

Feature image courtesy of @lipscombsga