Listen Here
By Brittany Sega
After the polls closed on Friday, March 20, it was announced that Thompson will be the SGA president for the 2015-2016 academic year.
For the past couple of years there hasn’t been a race for Student Government Association (SGA) president, and rarely has there ever been a race for other executive board (E-board) positions. This year classmates, colleagues, and friends Nick Thompson and Korinne Magnuson decided to create some healthy competition and run against each other for SGA president.
The e-board elections took place March 18-20 which included positions such as president, vice president, sergeant of arms, treasurer, assistant treasurer, secretary, and public relations chair. These positions that make up the e-board and also the positions for Senate have a huge impact on assisting the administration with student life at the University of Findlay and also with providing leadership for the student body.
“SGA has the executive board and also the senate,” said current SGA president Preston Eberlyn.
According to Eberlyn, senate positions include three members from each respective class. These positions include the president, representative, and delegate. Both the executive board and senate make decisions within SGA. The executive board is chosen by the entire student body whereas the senate members are chosen by each respective class. To run for an executive board position students must have served on the senate for at least one year.
“The most basic thing that the president does is run the meetings but really the president is there to not only be the face and voice of SGA, but if anything goes wrong, they are called upon to solve those issues,” states Eberlyn.
Thompson is the current vice president of SGA, he is also a junior public relations major and has been an active member of SGA since his freshman year.
“SGA was really the first organization that I got involved with on campus and I just have this huge passion for the organization as a whole,” Thompson said.
Before learning that he won the election, Thompson said he wanted to be SGA president for many reasons but his biggest included giving back to the organization that has had such an impact on his experience at the University.
Magnuson is a junior marketing major and also the current treasurer of SGA. Like Thompson, she has been involved in SGA since her freshman year.
“I got involved in SGA my freshman year because I was really nervous coming out of high school to the University and I wanted to get involved in something that would ignite my passion for the school and SGA did that,” said Magnuson.
Magnuson says she will still be involved in SGA even though she lost the election. She says that she will be running for a senate position now.
Current president, Eberyln, is pleased to see some competition in SGA.
“It’s nice [to have competition] because I think it gives validity to SGA and that there is contest and people do get to choose who they want,” said Eberlyn.
“I have a lot of advice,” states Eberlyn, “but if I had to say one thing I would say to trust your E-board and be sure to go to them when you have a conflicting interest or decision to talk thorough any decision that you have to make.”
Thompson says that he is grateful and looking forward to serving as president next year.
“I greatly appreciate the support and trust with electing me in this position. I am extremely eager to have the opportunity to serve all of Oiler Nation next year,” said Thompson.
Senate elections will take place April 1-3. The petitions for these positions went out on March 23 and are due to the SGA office by March 30.
