The State of the Student Body Address presented by Student Body President Michael Parks featured praise of fellow Student Government members' achievements, traditions and awards on Wednesday
“It’ll be to reflect on what Student Government has done,” Parks said. “Not only the Student Government, but the student body as a whole, have done some exemplary stuff this year.”
This year’s student senate passed more actions than any before it, and Parks brought up a few other achievements: Cockstock, a concert boasting an attendance of 8,200 students, and the university’s participation in the It’s On Us campaign against sexual assault. Others included the new Greek meal plan, which Parks described as a culmination of the students body and government working together, the first ever Student Government Ball, and cutting the funding process from five weeks to two weeks, which makes it so that student organizations’ fund allocations are more efficiently voted on.
“I worked along with the Senate Finance Committee, and we were able to cut the funding process to two weeks, which is something I’d wanted from the beginning,” said Stinson Rogers, the current treasurer.
Current vice president and Student Body President-elect Ross Lordo carried around a bowling pin signed by previous VPs, part of a Student Government tradition.
“We each give an award to someone in our branches who exemplified what student government means and celebrate the work that they did on some important issue,” Lordo said.
There were six awards: the Spirit of Carolina Award was won by Megan O’Brien, the Freshman Counsel Award by Ngozi Chukwueke, the Rising Star Award went to Diana Inzirillo, the Treasurer’s Meritorious to Mikaela Waller, the Vice President’s Meritorious to Joseph Bass and the President’s Meritorious to Jake Laryazin.