Student Government Association will have a new president next semester.
Randy Gipson-Black, religion sophomore, won the SGA presidential election 75 to 25 percent, becoming the president-elect until the inauguration on April 7.
See more on Gipson-Black on Page 1.
His opponent, David Hall, music education/sociology sophomore, focused his campaign on issues that a lot of students resonated with, such as fixing issues with housing and improving the theater facilities.
Students should support the new president, regardless of whether or not they voted for him.
But students shouldn’t get complacent. They should still work to make sure the policies they care about are being addressed.
For the 25 percent of students who sided with Hall, there are still ways they can put Hall’s policies in place even though he didn’t win the election.
It’s important that students be engaged in the student government process so they can make their voices heard.
It’s SGA’s job to represent the students’ voices. So, for those who feel Gipson-Black doesn’t represent their policies, they can change that by recommending bills to Student Senate or engaging in open dialogue with SGA.
For students who are adamant about the painting of new parking spots, which is the first issue Gipson-Black hopes to fix, it may not be as difficult for them to support the new president.
But for students who resonate with Hall’s campaign to better engage multicultural organizations like Hispanic Student Association and Native American Society, they may have to work harder at making sure their ideas make it to student government.
Essentially, while who we elect is important, what they do in office is even more important. The job of SGA president, as both candidates illustrated in their campaigns, is to address student concerns and act on behalf of the student body.
If students feel their concerns are not being addressed, the most important thing to do is get involved and keep their elected officials accountable.
Leave a Reply