Desteny Maragh – Reporter
At the Student Government election informational meeting, SGA Representatives discussed the demands and requirements for those interested in running for a position.
Daphne Alston the director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development said anyone looking to be a part of the organization is responsible for educating themselves on election guidelines.
“Make an impact,” said Alston, “we need candidates who are dedicated to creating change for the advancement of all students.”
There are currently four open positions for potential representatives of SGA and five open positions for student government at large.
“Everyone is welcome,” said SGA President Sarah Gossman, a junior. Gossman spoke about her experience as president and how it benefited her overall experience as a student.
“I’ve built confidence and it has helped me find my voice. It helped me find my fit for a professional career and through SGA I found my passion for education,” said Gossman. “SGA has made me a better writer and allowed me to be more confident in my abilities to work with people and helped tremendous with me excepting criticism.”
Vice President of SGA, Madison Miceli, a senior, who is also serving as elections chair, said if anyone has questions regarding the campaign process or has any curiosity’s about SGA to contact her.
Miceli said the ideal candidate should be someone who “is always ready to advocate, because advocation is our main priority. They should also be actively pushing for change and using their voice as a tool to express problems faced by any student for all students.”
For Miceli, she said her experience as an SGA rep has impacted her journey positively.
The goal of class governance is the ability to provide leadership to a class. Class boards members may plan and implement academic, social, and cultural activities for the benefit and enrichment of the student body and serve as the voice of their fellow students in SGA and the university.
All candidates must be enrolled as full-time matriculated undergraduate students. They must also have earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 or be in their first semester with no grade point average on record.
There is a process each candidate will have to successfully go through in order to achieve a potential position on the board. The first is to complete the election packet that can be found on Owl Connect by Sept. 28.
The same day the packet is due, there will be a meeting hosted by SGA to discuss the ins and outs of campaigning around campus, both physically and virtually.
The last day to run a campaign is Oct. 9. There will be no more campaigning after that day as the voting process will conclude.
The dates for students to place in ballots will be Oct. 6 through Oct. 9.
Results of the New Student Government board will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
With COVID-19 now being prevalent, there has been a slight adjustment to how students’ campaigns should run while abiding by social distancing rules, such as no handing out incentives.
