We have arrived at the mid-way point of the semester, which means that preparations for next school year are already beginning. Registering for Fall classes and making housing decisions are upon us; new Resident Assistants are being decided and are making plans for their halls next year, and Student Congress now has a new team.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Student Government Convocation Chapel was held. The candidates for next year’s Executive Cabinet gave speeches about their visions for campus and their plans for next year should they get elected. Students were then emailed individual links to vote. Voting was open from the time Chapel ended on Feb. 21 to 5:00 p.m. the next day, Thursday the 22. Excitingly, this election saw record numbers of voting participation.
The results were emailed to students that Friday morning. Next year’s Student Body President is Zachary Fazio, and the Vice President (VP) of the Student Governance Association (SGA) is Margaret Tredway. VP of the Spiritual Life Board (SLB) is Ellie Haseloff, VP of Clubs and Congress Operations is Elizabeth Bramer, and VP of Student Intercultural Programs (SIP) is Kourtney Kawata.
“I was so excited when I got the email,” said the new VP of SGA Margaret Tredway. “My dad was the VP when he was in college, and so this is like carrying out a legacy, and knowing I’m now able to do that is an amazing feeling!”
One of the joys of being a member of Asbury’s Student Congress is getting the opportunity to work alongside a group of people with different backgrounds, areas of expertise, and dreams for campus. These unique visions, combined with a shared love and passion for Asbury, help the winners bond as a team and bring each of their strengths to the table.
“I’m really happy with our team. No matter the outcome, everyone who ran would’ve been a joy to work with,” said Tredway. “But I think that we have so many different strengths on our team, and I can’t wait to get to know everyone better and work with them!”
Another wonderful aspect of being a part of the Student Congress is being able to work in close quarters with both students and faculty. These relationships allow for the members of Student Congress to represent the desires of the students to the faculty in their areas of leadership and hear their hearts for student life as well.
“I am really looking forward to actually hearing the insights of anyone involved in Spiritual Life,” said the new VP of SLB, Ellie Haseloff. “Whether that is from SLAs and what fruit is coming out of their Gathers or just hearing the things that Spiritual Life is moving towards. I’m excited to actually hear from Spiritual Life the heart behind what they do and how they approach it.”
This newly elected Student Congress team brings fresh faces, dreams and goals to our campus leadership. Goals are being made, friendships are being formed, and they are each already in prayerful preparation for the coming 2024-2025 school year.