SGAelectionsCMYK
SGA MEMBERS PHOTO-COURTESY OF CHELSEA NEAL

Ivory McGuireCento Writer

The past several weeks on Centre’s Campus have proved both busy and exciting as students have moved back after summer vacation, classes have begun, and various clubs and sports have started the 2013-2014 school year with a bang.

One organization that has caused quite a buzz around campus is the Student Government Association (SGA). Soon after students arrived on campus, those who were interested wasted no time in campaigning and working to gather the one hundred signatures that each potential candidate needed in order to be placed on the SGA ballot.

The first-year class had an exceptional amount of interest in SGA with 17 candidates eager to complete the petition this year.

Several candidates went door to door and others “camped-out” in locations with a great deal of student traffic in order to fill the signature quota and get their name in the community.

On Thursday, Sept. 12, elections for class representatives for the SGA took place online, and on Friday the student body received an email detailing who the SGA representatives are for 20132014 school year.

The newly elected first-year representatives are: Alex Chumbley, Lola Fakunle, Sarah Hutchinson, Harrison Kirby, Ellen Matthews, Mason Paas, Bryce Rowland, and Madison Stewart.

The sophomore class will be represented by Rebecca Barefield, Grant Blayney, Emily Hooker, Ross Larson, Jeffrey Podis, and Natalie Tate.

Junior representatives include: Garric Buzzard, Matthew Gilbert, Alanna Guy, Samuel Lane, and Elaina Waters.

Senior representatives are: Martin Carroll, Sarah Cramer, Ben Ferkin, Erik-Jan Hassell, and Karissa Jackson.

At the close of elections, the sophomore class still had two vacancies for SGA Representatives, requiring a replacement election to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

These positions for SGA representatives were open for all classes, and not exclusively for the sophomore class. First-year Calvin Steber and junior Kiana Fields won the open representative positions.

“I am very interested in government but also in making a positive difference and trying to improve campus life for my classmates and myself,” first-year representative Alex Chumbley said. Even though it was only this past week that Alex became an SGA representative, he has already begun thinking about how he can contribute to campus life through his new position in SGA. “I’ve heard a lot of people make comments about the food on campus,” Chumbley said. “I think I’d enjoy being a part of the food services area and making adjustments to the food around campus.”

Another first-year SGA member, Lola Fakunle, ran for SGA because of the influence other SGA members have had.“One of the reasons I wanted to
run for SGA was I saw how much the SGA does at Centre, and I just thought it would be a really cool way to get involved,” Fakunle said. “I’m on the Campus Improvement Committee, which deals with improvements to laundry, printers, showers, etc. One of the most important ways we can help make improvements though is to listen to what others have to say.”

It has been, to say the least, an exciting week in being able to watch the election unfold. The SGA election displayed the initiative and dedication that is prominently found throughout the Centre community.