Student Leaders Take Office
Devaughn Patterson, Reporter
September 25, 2012
Filed under Campus Life
The new officers in Student Government Association look forward to upcoming learning experiences.
Juniors Catie Becker and Dayna Richter are ready for their positions as president and vice president of SGA, and they say they are prepared to make changes around campus.
“I’m really excited about this position because I think we have a good basis to work from thanks to the previous officers. They worked hard in establishing a good foundation and now it’s our job to let students know what SGA is about and what we do,” said Becker.
Richter said she considers Becker and herself the new faces of Misericordia who can represent students and work to meet their needs.
“I’m just really excited to be able to voice students’ opinions to people who can make the changes on campus like the president of the university, people like that,” Richter said.
Becker and Richter decided to run together for the top two positions because they wanted leadership positions, and they worried when no one else on campus seemed to want to fill them. They count themselves very lucky to be in these positions.
“I wanted to run because I started to notice things that students had a lot of concerns about and wanted them addressed,” Becker said. “The Mercy Leadership Program sort of jump started me into a leadership role. It’s our job to keep the students accountable and make sure they represent Misericordia in the ways that we think it should be represented.”
Richter has similar feelings, which is what makes the pairing a good match. “I just see this as a small campus that you can be a big fish in a small pond and get involved like you might not be able to at bigger schools,” she said.
The duo will work to reach out to departments and groups on campus to ensure that all students know that they are at work for the student body.
“We’re looking to work with more departments across campus so we can stay involved and use the resources available to us to best serve the students,” Becker said. “We want students to make us a resource.”
Richter views the role of SGA as mediator and communicator. “Student government is like the middle man between student body and everything else that happens at the school, I think that’s our biggest job that we have to do.”
SGA advisor Darcy Brodmerkel said the new leaders already have goals that they would like to achieve for the university.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with them already. We’ve had several meetings and they are quick to get the job done,” said Brodmerkel.
New clubs have already been accepted through SGA, including the photography club and Physician’s Assistant Club. Sophomore Mary Bove came up with the idea to start a photography club because she noticed that a lot of students were interested in taking photos but didn’t really know how or have the right equipment. She thought the club would be a way for students with the same interests to come together and learn more about photography.
“She found people and realized there isn’t a photography club on campus and they want to do a community service project for either the school or local business were they can go around and take pictures of certain events, certain things, nature, people, whatever they want,” said Becker.
Bove thinks students will show interest once word of the group spreads. She recently completed the necessary paperwork required to become an active club.
“Everyone takes pictures. Even if it’s with a phone, everyone has taken a picture in their life and I know lots of my friends and lots of people are interested in photography so hopefully they’ll like it,” she said.
Students interested in creating a club must first speak with Brodmerkel. If the student’s ideas are approved, coordinators need to select officers, find an advisor, write a chart or a mission, and then submit it to the board. The officers are responsible for doing two service projects a year, fundraising and attend all the SGA meetings or leadership training days.
“It’s not very likely that I would tell them no,” Brodmerkel said. “If they meet those requirements each semester they’re rewarded $50 each semester to that club from SGA.”
SGA officers have responsibilities to the entire MU community, whether it be is adding clubs, talking to faculty and staff or planning events, but their main concern is making sure the students have someone to talk to.
Brodmerkel said SGA is the voice of the students. “[SGA officers] have a lot of power, and they have opportunities to make changes that they feel are necessary to benefit the whole student body.”
pattersd@misericordia.edu
