The Daily Gamecock

Student Government looks forward after inaugurating new members

<p>The 108th student senate officially began its work after being inaugurated Wednesday afternoon.</p>
The 108th student senate officially began its work after being inaugurated Wednesday afternoon.

With the 108th session of Student Government officially beginning after the inauguration of its new members, the executives are focused on the future and the fulfillment of their campaign promises.

The new members were sworn into office Wednesday afternoon at Rutledge Chapel. Many friends and family members were in attendance, along with university officials. Elections Commissioner Alexandra Badgett welcomed the guests and introduced the speakers throughout the ceremony.

Senior Vice Provost Dr. Helen Doerpinghaus gave her remarks before the executives and senators were sworn in. She reviewed some of the accomplishments of the previous term, including increasing the number of student organizations that use Student Government funding and engaging about 500 students in leadership training.

"Student Government at Carolina makes a tremendous difference to thousands of students during their college years," Doerpinghaus said. "Yours is an active Student Government, shaping the experience and opportunities that we offer to a very diverse and large student body."

Chief Justice Ross Abbott of the Constitutional Council then swore in the new members, starting with the senators all at once and moving on to the treasurer, vice president and president.

Student body treasurer Stinson Rogers expressed his gratitude to the student body for their votes and said that he hopes to help students achieve great things during his term.

"The slogan for my campaign was 'We can,'" Rogers said. "A year from now, when another treasurer is sworn into office, I hope to stand before you and say, 'We did.'"

Student body vice president Ross Lordo directed many of his statements to the senators, encouraging them to connect with the students they represent and not be intimidated by challenges. He related this to the main goal of his platform, which is to improve the relationship between Student Government and the student body.

"This effort begins with me keeping the promises of my campaign," Lordo said. "This means that I will be visiting student organizations every week as part of a new effort to connect Student Government to the rest of the student body."

Lordo wants to increase transparency and productivity within the student senate, as well as make it seem more approachable to students.

"The passions of the student body are our passions," he said. "We'll be hearing what matters most and bringing that information back to the executives, to the senate and to those who brainstorm our initiatives and programs."

Student Body President Michael Parks discussed a vision that is similar to Lordo's. Parks hopes to expand the reach of Student Government to students from every corner of campus. He plans to focus on the "engagement, empowerment and enrichment" of the student body during his term.

"Expanding the scope of our Student Government to impact and empower more students than ever has been a top priority since day one and will remain one throughout my tenure as president," he said. 

He then spoke more directly to the senators, calling them to determine and address the issues that are of top priority to the student body.

"Join with me in attacking each day with an enthusiasm that's unknown to mankind as we relentlessly pursue the creation of a new culture in Student Government that identifies and addresses the most pertinent student body issues," Parks said.

The ceremony closed with a few brief remarks from Jerry Brewer, associate vice president for Student Affairs and Academic Support. He cited three lessons that he said former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill promoted. The first was to aim high, because even if you miss the highest point, you will still have been successful. The second was that there is no substitute for hard work, and sometimes that work will happen at inconvenient times.

As Churchill's third lesson, Brewer encouraged the new members of Student Government to "never allow mistakes, disaster, accidents, unpopularity, criticisms, or personal or national accidents to get you down and detract from [your] mission ahead."


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