By Sebastian Moronta, SGA Correspondent
This week, the student government association held elections for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. The results were tallied over the weekend, and the winners are as follows. These appointments are conditional upon the candidate’s acceptance of the role, so this list is subject to change.
From the College of Arts and Sciences, eight new senators were selected: Isabelle Joseph, Dessi Miles, Kate Egan, Bryan Saint-Louis, Tarra Brice, Mavis Dwobeng, Adriana Jean-Louis and Mikayla Deloney.
Six new senators were appointed to the College of Business, including this year’s corresponding secretary Tyler Varda, Jack Cady, Nancy Atkins, Tania Louis, Jeffrey Parker and Natasha Shiku.
Just two senators were selected for the College of Nursing, Jasmine Kelly and Rickey Gonzalez, and only one each for the College of Engineering and the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Josue Rivera and Anne Schneider, respectively.
Residents and Commuters each get a senator, with Shane Carey tentatively representing the on-campus population, while Bailey Sweet would speak for the commuters.
Finally, each class year is typically awarded 3 seats, and this year Tayanna King, Nicole Arruda, and Jesse Johnson will represent the incoming senior class of 2019. Marcia Carvalho and Edmilson Lopes will serve the Class of 2020, and Pearl McCarthy, Patrick Carries, and Kerby Neuvieme have stepped up for the Class of 2021.
In addition to selecting new representatives, students also voted on three ballot measures concerning fees to be added to each student’s bill. The first was an increase to the student fee, which many in the SGA saw as crucial. As a reminder, the funds raised from the student fee charge support student organizations, and while this fee hadn’t been raised in several years, the number and size of student organizations on campus continues to grow. The student fee increase was approved.
MassPIRG was also approved by the student body, on the heels of the announcement of their new voter project, intent on registering students to vote and increasing youth participation in elections.
Finally, the Green Fee was also approved. The green fee is an optional fee much like the MassPIRG fee which is primarily designed to fund campus sustainability projects. This program is new, beginning in 2014, and since then has accomplished numerous projects with its initial round of funding, including the installation of more water bottle refilling stations, more recycling bins, a spring break research program, and much more.
The Green Fee’s approval will no doubt accelerate their ongoing project: bringing a bike sharing service to campus. Jamie Jacquart, Assistant director for campus sustainability and residential initiatives, hopes the new funding can subsidize the service for students, possibly providing discounted service and free helmets. Look for the bikes during Green Week (April 23-27) for the chance to test them out.
Once again, the senatorial appointees are subject to change, if any of the elected candidates deny the appointment. While these positions have just been selected, it’s not too late to get involved with the SGA, any student can apply to become a student representative, which gives you a voice and streamlined contact with other senators and e-board members to accomplish your goals. Learn more at umassdsga.com.