Student Government Association News

Olivia Stevens, staff writer

On Tuesday April 25, 2017, the Student Government Association (SGA) sat in the North Mall Meeting Room for their last meeting of the year. The members listened one by one to the members who were running for positions for the upcoming year.

At the end of every year, the SGA elects new members to be the executive board for the following year. Members are asked about how they will do their job. If there is more than one person running for a position then there is often a debate.

Each member who was running for an office  stood up and made a speech to persuade the SGA members why they were the best candidate for that position. They each said how long they had been at Piedmont and how long they had been in SGA.

After they shared this information, they then went into work that they had done that is similar to the position they were running for. Candidates also talked about what makes them the best candidate. After hearing speeches, members then pulled out their clickers and voted for the best candidate for a position

There were seven positions that needed to be filled before next year. The positions were president, vice president, secretary, director of public relations, director of student voice, executive Senator, and director of events.

Each newly-elected member  had something to say about their new role in the upcoming SGA year. They all were excited to work together and come up with great ideas for the new year.

Waqas Al Mulhim, who was elected president, said, “I am very happy for being elected as the President of the SGA. And I am so honored to be able to help other students, as well as hearing them, and make their voice heard.”

Michael Apgar, who was elected vice president, said, “I’m happy to have been elected the new SGA vice president and look forward to representing the student body. I plan to take the ideas of the students and work with the rest of the SGA to make the 2017-2018 school year a great one.”

Erin Sonnenburg, who was elected secretary, said, “The Student Government Association was the first club I applied for when I joined Piedmont Virginia Community College. It will be the first club I apply for when I transfer to a four year college. The reasons for that are as follows. First and foremost, the SGA has shown me that good leadership inspires others to lead and that leaders do not find joy in self-achievement, but rather in the achievement of those they serve. Secondly, the SGA has been quintessential in the formation of who I am today. Through the SGA, I became interested in government, law, civil discussion, and the importance of being an active listener. To the SGA, I am entirely grateful. As a member, of the new executive board, I will recollect on what I learned, maintain my aptitude for learning, and inspire others to do the same.”

Skye Scott was elected director of public relations. She said, “I was just elected as director of public relations, and I am so excited! I will be in charge of managing social media accounts, publicizing events, and advertising the SGA in general.”

Cambria Kowalzik, who was elected director of student voice, said, “Being the director of student voice gives me the opportunity to connect with the student body in a new way. I am looking forward to seeing what we can all do to help the school, and the student body.”

Emily Sabin, who was elected executive senator,  said, “I feel very excited to be a part of something I believe in, and I’m looking forward to learning more about PVCC from different perspectives.”

John Linkous was elected director of events. He said, “I’m happy that I was elected to director of events as it will allow me to collaborate with others to create events that benefit our school. In addition, I’m interested to see what ideas others will bring forward on creating events around our campus.”

The new year will bring on a new executive board that are ready for the opportunity to serve as the student voice for the school.

To contact the SGA, follow them on Facebook at PVCC Student Government Association, email Waqas Al Mulhim at wa2810@email.vccs.edu, or email the SGA email at SGA@pvcc.edu and SGA2@pvcc.edu.