By Katie Kierstead
Staff Writer
With the overwhelming success of Saint Baldrick’s Day, Dodgeball Madness, Super Strose Sweep and other recent campus events, Saint Rose’s Student Association effortlessly eases the pain of mid-semester stress with fun ways to get involved in the college community. But the organization’s current leaders are treading cautiously under a cloud of anxiety as they await the results of this year’s SA elections.
What’s unique about this year’s election is that nobody is running for re-election. By its nature, Student Association welcomes new members often and therefore cannot stay stagnant. It is always changing, with new ideas and new mindsets from its members. However, the election of an entirely new team of people has been an uneasy thought for those who are currently in a leadership position.
“I would be lying if I said I was not extremely nervous about turning SA over to a brand-new board, but at the same time, getting new people into office will give SA yet another chance to reinvent itself and usher in even more new ideas and activities,” said Courtney Carr, current SA director of communications.
Student Association is the student government which oversees all of the 40-plus clubs on campus, in addition to planning SA-specific activities. SA’s job is to fund, publicize, and support the events of these organizations. Frequent food trucks and free movie nights are the fruit of hard work by SA, as well as extremely well-attended annual events like Rose Rock and Saint Baldrick’s Day festivities.
For many students, these events become fond memories and take part in defining the Saint Rose experience. Current president Justin Whittaker reflects on his involvement with SA, explaining that he has made unforgettable connections and helped put things into action that affect the entire school. Regarding the imminent elections, he and his fellow board members are choosing optimism.
“As it is a bittersweet moment to leave something we have all become passionate about, new faces [are] a positive thing for an organization like Student Association. They will bring new ideas, different ways of doing things, and a fresh start to something that has been effective for many years at Saint Rose,” said Whittaker.
Elections begin Monday, March 30, and run through Tuesday, March 31. Voting takes place on Blackboard and the winners will be announced Wednesday, April 1.
Every position in SA will be newly filled, including president, director of communications, director of academic activities, director of special interests, director of social activities, comptroller, and executive assistant.
There are ten candidates running for these six titles, two of which have only one candidate running. To run for an Executive Board position in SA, a student must be full-time and maintain at least a 2.75 GPA. All those who are running this year have had some level of involvement with SA and show a deep interest in the positions they seek.
The candidates declined comment due to the strict rules of the election process. Their campaigns cannot run through the voting time, which began Monday.
