Caroline Wilkerson ~ Staff Writer
On Sept. 10, 2019, Student Government Association President, Davion Washington, met to discuss his plans for this 2019-2020 school year.
In April 2019, Washington was elected as the SGA President in one of the first contested elections in numerous years. B.J Keefer, Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Development announced in April, “for the first time in many years, of the three elected positions (President, VP of Internal Affairs, VP of External Affairs), two of those were contested. This shows the work of our current SGA members and the involvement of our student body.” Washington added, “As a member of one of the first contested elections, I am glad I was I able to make an impact and become not only a representative for the student body, but a friend and a helping hand for my fellow peers.”
When asked about his plans for this upcoming academic year, Washington said, “We would like to continue with our normal events, including midnight breakfast and movies in the dell, but we would also like to implement end-of-year senator presentations, where each senator will present on what they have accomplished for the year. The Student Government Association would really like to encourage students to come out to these presentations, so that they can hear what we have done and accomplished for the year.”
According to the University of Lynchburg SGA website, “The University of Lynchburg Student Government Association Senate meets weekly on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in Schewel Hall room 207. Senate meetings are open to all students to attend. If you would like to find out how you can be a part of the Student Senate, contact Seiya Nomura at Nomura_S@lynchburg.edu or Davion Washington Jr. at Washington_DM@lynchburg.edu.”
In regards to the Senate, Washington said, “If you would like to know what is going on around campus and within the Senate, we encourage you to attend. On Monday, Sept. 9, we had our first Senate meeting and it was a success. We talked about legislation proposals, and working towards getting some of these proposals approved. In prior years, a smoke-free campus has been a result of legislation proposals.” Washington continued, “we need Senate representatives for all areas of campus including residential facilities, multicultural services, BSA, international and commuter students, and transfer students. Not all positions have been filled yet, so if you’re interested, please contact your SGA members.”
When Washington was asked for his closing remarks, he said, “I am a representative, so I am a voting member. I will be one of the people that will be hiring the next President. Aside from that, I want students to know who is representing them. We want them to follow us on social media, and reach out to us. I appreciate students reaching out to me. I am happy that I can do that for them when they feel like they can’t or that they don’t have a voice. With that said though, I see concerns on social media, but social media isn’t going to fix your issues. Our administration does not see those concerns. I ask that the student body attends these senate meetings, or approach myself or the executive board personally so we can actually make a change. This campus is ours. Let’s keep it that way.”
The Student Government can be contacted at sga@lynchburg.edu or through their social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.