When Elon junior Michael Swartz first ran for a position in the Student Government Association in the fall of his freshman year, he filmed a campaign video while walking around campus. During his campaign for executive president, Swartz filmed a similar video outlining three main goals he had if elected: awareness, connection and experience.
After winning his race for executive president, Swartz hopes to fulfill these goals in different ways. Swartz said increasing the awareness of SGA across campus was important because everyone on campus is connected to the decisions made during senate meetings. Swartz said being present around campus by showing up to performing arts shows and athletic events is a way to make campus connections. Swartz emphasized wanting to reach students and hear from them about what experiences they wanted to have during their year.
“One way or another, everyone is connected to it, whether that’s their student activity fees that we get a portion of to redistribute to student organizations that are eligible,” Swartz said. “I just really want everyone to be aware of this is a resource, this isn’t some entity that is far away.”
Previous SGA executive president Anya Bratić started a social media series called ‘Anya’s Top 5’ which highlighted events and offices around campus. Swartz said he wanted to expand SGA’s social media presence and explained a video series highlighting faculty members around campus.
“Students every day pass faculty members, and staff members, and the people that work at dining halls and custodial members outside academic buildings, they pass them every day and they might even have conversations, but they don’t truly know anything about them,” Swartz said.
In his role, Swartz will work with campus officials such as Vice President of Student Life Jon Dooley. Swartz said he will be meeting with Dooley multiple times a month and will bring up requests or problems he has heard from students and other senators. Swartz said even if something doesn’t change during his term, by bringing it to the attention of campus administration, things can change during the next executive council’s term.
Last semester, SGA passed legislation to implement suggestion boxes around campus. Swartz said hearing students' suggestions and talking about them during business meetings will be important to planning how SGA could get the suggestions done.
“It starts with putting the suggestion box in places where people actually will be and write suggestions to hear, not just one select group, what they want to see happen if they’re going to certain events where we’re always at,” Swartz said. “But going to places SGA hasn’t been before and saying ‘We want to hear from you, this is an easy way to do it, write a suggestion.’”
During the school-wide elections in March, Oliver Keicher was elected as executive vice president. During SGA’s April 9 business meeting, the last three positions of the executive council were filled. Tyler Mastrangelo was appointed as vice president of communications, Cayce Becker was appointed as vice president of finance and Ellie Agulnek was internally elected to the speaker of the senate position.
Swartz said he is excited to work with this executive council. Swartz said over the summer, the council will be in constant communication, setting priorities for the next year and making improvements.
“Thinking about what is relevant at the moment, things that were made priorities two years ago, might not be what we should be focusing all of our time on right now,” Swartz said.