By Samara Demray
As the semester started, there was no Student Government Association (SGA) in place as all executive officers are chosen prior to the start of the following academic year. The board was completed last week with the following members:
Student Body President: Samara Demary
Student Body Vice President: Emily Freer
Chief Financial Officer: Johnathan Bizzell
Chief Administrative Officer: Alisha Dhar
Traditions Coordinator: Brian Martinez
Senior Class Representative: Bergin Gillespie
Junior Class Representative: Makenzie Jones
Sophomore Class Representative: Kasey Wilkins
First Year Class Representative: Mackenzie Russell
The SGA board is in charge of being the voice for the students and as Student Body President, it is my duty to hear what students have to say and then find ways to fix the problem immediately or find an immediate solution if this is a long term fix.
As president, for me, it was vital to have a full executive board especially for the senior and first-year class representatives. This is because those two classes have been hit the hardest in the midst of the pandemic. First years are adjusting to college life especially with their senior year half-cut because of COVID-19 and they didn’t even get to experience First-Year Orientation in the traditional way. For seniors, their year started off unconventional as they didn’t have their senior breakfast with Dr. Ralph and other senior events they normally would have had but who knows what tomorrow may hold.
Here are some thoughts from the new SGA officers.
“I wanted to be a part of SGA because I want there to be a better line of communication between the board and the student body,” said Vice President Emily Freer. “In the past, I feel like it hasn’t been consistent and this year I would like to change that!”
“ I wanted to be a part of something more. I wanted to be involved on campus and make an impact. Make a change for the school and speak on behalf of those that may not have the courage to speak out. To leave a legacy behind after I graduate,” said Kasey Wilkins who is serving as Sophomore Class Representative.
“The main focus for SGA this year is finding ways to navigate through the obstacles of COVID-19 and how to build community despite the pandemic. Jonathan Bizzell who is serving as the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) says that he wanted to be a part of SGA, “To deliver an eventful year for all Peace students! I hope to make a positive impact on all students’ experiences via SGA by coordinating with other executives to provide events that the students want.”
SGA has already started asking for feedback from the students about any questions and concerns that may need immediate attention so that WPU can create a safe space for all students. If anyone has questions for SGA they can email and share ideas and more at sga@peace.edu.