With annual elections around the corner, members of the Student Government Association (SGA) urge the student body to get on the computer and vote.
SGA is the governing body of all the student clubs and organizations on campus; currently, they are overseeing over 100, however more continue to be added each year. As a whole, SGA works to support University events both promotionally and financially. This semester, the student body will have the opportunity to vote for new members of the SGA Senate. The Senate is comprised of a President and Vice President, six Senior Senators, six Junior Senators, six Sophomore Senators, six Freshmen Senators, four Senators At-Large, and two Commuter Senators. After elections have culminated, the President and Vice President will also select Senators and students to serve on the Executive Board.
The Executive Board includes the Chief Justice, Finance, Historian, Parliamentarian, Treasurer, Attorney General, President Pro Tempore, the Vice President, and President. Executive Board members who have been appointed by the President and Vice President, but were not elected by the student body do not have voting rights on SGA.
On Apr. 4, those running in the election began to campaign for positions. Beginning Apr. 12 at noon, students can log on to my.monmouth.edu and access their voting portal, where they can digitally check the candidates for which they are voting.
Austin Skelton, elections and recruitment co-chair, and sophomore political science student, said that voting for SGA candidates is an incredibly important aspect of being an MU student.
“It’s important to vote because it gives students the opportunity for their voice to be heard and for them to choose who they want to represent them. No matter how big or small the election, voting matters,” said Skelton.
With SGA being the governing body of the students, they have tremendous pull on many aspects of the University. For example, they were pivotal in the decision to implement Gourmet Dining Services. Therefore, it is imperative that students actively participate in the voting process, so they have a definitive say in who represents the student body.
“It’s important for students to vote for SGA because our purpose on the Senate is to represent the Monmouth student body so it’s essential that these elections are taken seriously and considered with great thought,” said Vincent Welch, a sophomore business student and member of SGA. “Many of us have served on senate since freshman year so it’s important that we have experienced senators keeping their voting rights so they can continue to pursue the current agenda and accomplish all our future goals. It shouldn’t be a popularity contest it should be based off who has a good track record and will be able to create positive change for Monmouth.”
According to the MU official website, “It is the responsibility of the elected members of the Senate to actively represent the needs, concerns and ideas of the students for which they serve. Senators have an obligation to become actively engaged with the regular business of the Senate. This would include attending all scheduled meetings, programs, and events, as well as serving as a member of one of the many committees sponsored by SGA.”
SGA advisors Vaughn Clay and Amanda Brockriede agreed that voting for Senate members allows students to choose who they want to be represented by.
Additionally, Emely Diaz, co-chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and a sophomore political science and history major, said that many candidates have similar views to the entire student body, so it is important for students to capitalize on the opportunity to vote, as they can make a real difference in the university.
“It is important for students to vote because through the election of members of the Monmouth community who might share similar views as them they’ll be able to ensure that issues that they feel strongly about are addressed,” said Diaz.
With new members being elected, they will surely bring about change to the university in order to make life as an MU student a more enjoyable overall experience. Welch elaborated on the future goals of SGA in the coming semesters.
“Future goals for SGA are to develop relationships with the community and work with prominent people here at Monmouth, so they can contribute to the change and understand the issues we are faced with as students so we can effectively resolve them,” said Welch.
IMAGE TAKEN from https://www.monmouth.edu/