The winners of the student body election for Student Government Association (SGA) were limited to three students who ran during the election, while the rest of the roles are actively being filled.
From Sept. 22 to Sept. 24, students were encouraged to log on to their Bucks accounts and vote remotely. Elections are usually held this way, so the impact of the pandemic was minimal.
Blake Churchill ran without opposition for President and won. Position for Vice President was won by Samantha Gillespie and the Director of Diversity and Inclusion was won by Nicholas Berube.
SGA exists to hear concerns of the student body. They also plan events on campus meant to bring students together. They oversee individual club operations and their needs such as finances, otherwise known at the Student Activities Fee.
During the election, candidates must adhere to strict rules and guidelines for their campaigning efforts, such as the number of posters and flyers are limited in number. Handouts may only be candy and it must all be student run and involved, meaning no family members or non-Bucks students may contribute.
There are also term limits, which differ for officers. Executive officers may run for one academic year, until the following years’ Annual Student Awards Luncheon every May. Incumbent officers shall serve for 2 consecutive semesters, and as long as there is sincere intent for their continual enrollment at the college, they may run for reelection.
There are two meetings that the SGA holds, the Executive Board Meetings and the Full Board Meetings. Executive meetings are held at discretion of the of the SGA President and the Full Board Meetings are held every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. and are open to the public. Due to the pandemic, the school has required all clubs to meet over Zoom. The Zoom link will be provided to the student body for those who wish to attend.
BCCC details the election process and the job of SGA, making every step clear and properly conveyed to the student body. Their work is transparent.
Professor Shawn Queeney from the Communications Program at the college had great optimism for this year and the SGA. He stated that SGA has “a high level of student engagement and adaptation, but students need to participate to foster real change.”
One thing Queeney thought that the SGA has done a great job with was the introduction of charging cables to campuses. With the challenges the community faces this year with the pandemic, he is optimistic that the college has a good infrastructure of committee and government, so adaptation of the school should not be too difficult.
Elizabeth Watson, 20, communication major said, “Being remote will help with thrive more because they have more time to discuss changes that need to be made on campus before being back on campus.”
A lot of questions and concerns have risen from the community regarding the pandemic and ways of communications, but many are confident in the SGA to take lead and make changes during this time.