Class of 2024 President Britt Mobley said going into the spring semester, he is writing legislation that will put funds towards a monument on campus immortalizing the experiences of people of color at Elon — both past and present.
Mobley said the inspiration for the monument came to him during his global experience course freshman year, by Vandorn Hinnant, a Black artist from Greensboro.
“We passed a statement, or proclamation, last year that Black lives do matter — but that’s a statement,” Mobley said. “It's not to say that it was not significant, because it really was. However, this is something that is tangible, that we will be able to see, that will take a lot of different campus partnerships and obviously a lot of different voices.”
Mobley is one of many student leaders in Elon University’s Student Government Association who are making plans for the upcoming semester. With SGA elections approaching in March, the organization will also prepare for a new student constitution, new SGA bylaws, a new judicial process and a new advisor — once the current SGA advisor, Jana Lynn Patterson, steps down from her role in April.
According to SGA Executive President Jack Corby, the new constitution, bylaws and judicial behaviors were all voted on by the student body and ratified last election cycle.
Pertaining specifically to the class of 2024, Mobley said much of the sophomore student body’s current excitement stems from their planning of the Elon Mardi Gras festival on March 1. Mobley said he is excited to help bring the Mardi Gras culture to the Elon community.
“It's really just a celebration of what Elon is and what it can be,” Mobley said.
Class of 2023 President Chase Solomon said his main focus for the junior class is planning events that will bring everyone together.
“I think class unity is always something that we might have in the back of our mind, but it is somewhat important,” Solomon said. “It's not just about what goes on day-to-day, but what sticks with you throughout your Elon experience.”
Solomon also said he received some student feedback about wanting later dining hall hours during finals week — something in the works, according to Solomon.
Alexa Morrissey, the class of 2025 president and member of Elon News Network, said she would like to pursue legislation for the spring semester that addresses some of the cons of Greek life and the dominance it has on campus. Specifically, Morrissey said she wants to establish new programs on campus that deal with helping girls who don’t find the rushing process as rewarding or beneficial.
Along with Mobley and Solomon, Morrissey aims to create connections within the class of 2025 — specifically with the surrounding community outside of the “Elon bubble.”
“I think it's really special what we have around campus,” Morrissey said. “I don't think a lot of students realize that, so just forming that connection and forming those relationships will be really special.”
Both Mobley and Morrissey said they will be focusing on finding ways to promote diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the Elon community.
“We put a lot of emphasis on our history,” Mobley said. “However, on campus, we never have really put notice or put as an importance on the experience that persons of color — specifically Black folk on campus — have felt throughout Elon’s time. And that's not only students, that’s faculty and staff as well.”
Class of 2022 President Liam O’Connor also expressed an extreme focus on class unity as the seniors begin their final semester at Elon. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic occurring in the middle of their four years, O’Connor said the senior class has had a lot of obstacles with connecting with one another. Thus, O’Connor said he is continuing to plan events in an attempt to bring the class of 2022 together.
“I think that we were truly severed in our time here at Elon,” O’Connor said. “We've learned so much about ourselves that we haven't learned about each other, and that's the entire point of having these spaces for connection.”
Corby, Solomon, Mobley and Morrissey all said they welcome and encourage student feedback and participation as SGA prepares for the next election cycle.
“I have seen that SGA has struggled in the past when it comes to getting the word out there, getting folks excited for elections and folks running,” Mobley said. “So I hope that folks will just come out and really play an integral role in who they want to be their representative, because once we're in, we're in. We're representing you and we want to make sure that we're accurately representing the student body.”