New SGA administration starts lays plans for next year

Inauguration for the new Student Government Association administration took place at Tuesday's meeting. One new aspect of this administration is the creation of a campus involvement director, who will be working with the publications director.

SGA president Ryan Beaird believes that the need for more SGA publicity is crucial and the sitution wasn't handled well by past administration.

"We've got a lot of faith behind our staff, our public relations director, Kyle Fulton, and our campus involvement director, Ashton Snowden," said Beaird, 2008-2009 SGA president. "Not only are we hoping to get PR back to where it should be, but [we're hoping] to surpass that point."

The campus involvement director, Ashton Snowden, will aid the PR director in his duties. According to Fulton, he plans on using traditional means as well as creative methods to keep people informed about SGA activities. Traditional means include things such as flyers and exposure in The Herald. One creative idea Fulton suggested is attaching a promotional sign to a remote control car and guiding the car all over campus.

Fulton was among the new staff sworn in by former president, Morgan Pippin, at the meeting Tuesday night.

"I'm thrilled to death since we've spent over 200 hours working between being elected and being sworn in tonight," Beaird said. "I speak for the entire staff when I say we are very excited to officially get to work."

"I love our staff team, and I'm really excited to be working for the student government," Fulton said.

When the floor was offered to the new staff, Beaird swore in senators for the 2008-2009 school year.

The first positions to be filled were the action fund commissioner seat, the president pro temp seat, and the sergeant at arms seat. Kyle Smith was elected to the action fund commissioner seat. Senator Yanna-Janell Scott was accepted by acclimation to fill the president pro temp seat. Senator Adrian Everett was accepted by acclimation to fill the sergeant at arms seat. A nominee is accepted by acclimation when he or she has no opposition.

Seven out of eleven available senate seats were filled. Many candidates were accepted by acclimation. Those accepted by acclimation included senior senator Allison Tate, sophomore senators Kimberly Winchester and Ashley Handcock, graduate senator Morgan Pippin, non-traditional senator Farrah Young, and honors college senator Somer Allen. Justin White was elected to be junior senator.

"I feel very excited to be a new senator on SGA," Tate said. "I hope to represent the senior class well in the 08-09 school year."

"It's very exciting to be given the opportunity to serve as the representative for the honors college," Allen said. "I look forward to a successful term."

"It feels really good to be a senator," Handcock said. "I know a lot of freshman this semester who will be sophomores next year; I know a lot of the problems they are concerned about, and I can address their concerns at the SGA meetings."

The College of Engineering, the University College, the International, and the Military Science senator seats will remain open to qualified individuals. The next meeting will be held on April 22.

In other business, several announcements were made concerning upcoming events. The Indian yearbook will soon be available, to those with an ASU ID, at the student union campus information booth. Springfest, sponsored by the student activities board, will be held from April 15 to April 17. The Red Cross blood drive will take place on April 21 and April 22 at ASU Centennial hall.