Student Government Association (SGA) hosted its Presidential and Vice Presidential speeches on February 6 in Perini Lecture Hall. The two candidates running for the President and Vice President positions for the 2013-2014 school year are current President Lyndsay Robinson and SGA member Steve Bowen.
Since Robinson is well-known among the student body, she began her speech by introducing her teammate, Bowen. Robinson spoke enthusiastically of the New Hampshire resident, describing his passion for both this school and SGA. Even this past semester, when Bowen was studying abroad in London, he was still involved with the undertakings at Saint A’s.
“To share a personal story with you, Steve was abroad in London last semester and he would often send e-mails to his classmates about his concerns and ideas for campus issues. Even though he was just across the pond, he was very interested in what was happening here on campus,” says Robinson.
Bowen then gave a brief speech, reminding the audience members of the wonderful person and dedicated worker that Robinson is. Bowen reflected on Robinson’s time in SGA, which began her freshman year when she served as the President of the class of 2014. The following year, Robinson was chosen as the Secretary of Internal Procedures. This year, Robinson holds the seat of President alongside Vice President Shaun O’Halloran. According to Bowen, the two have accomplished much in their first semester in office.
“Her first term as President brought about new events, such as the 9/11 Day of Service and the Winter Ball, as well as a number of other wonderful measures,” comments Bowen.
Although Robinson and O’Halloran work well together, O’Halloran will not be running for re-election. While this is certainly an adjustment for Robinson, she is thankful for the time she has had to work alongside O’Halloran.
“Shaun has taught me so much. I am so very grateful for the year that I had with Shaun in office. He is such an amazing person all around. He has a huge heart and truly cares about this school and its people. I will miss him terribly, but thankfully, he is not going anywhere,” says Robinson.
When asked about his choice not to run for re-election, O’Halloran expressed passion for his current role as VP.
“There were a lot of factors that went into my decision not to run. First, I’m going into my senior year here and wanted to be able to sit back and relax a little. Next year I want to be able to do things I haven’t done yet, explore some other things Saint A’s has to offer. As much as I loved my role in SGA, it’s very time consuming and I would not be able to try as many different things while fulfilling my role in SGA,” explains O’Halloran.
Although O’Halloran’s term is nearing its end, he is confident in the capabilities of Steve Bowen.
“Steve is a great guy and a great member of Senate… If elected I have no doubt he will be a great VP. I look forward to being great friends with him one day,” says O’Halloran.
If Robinson and Bowen are elected, they have many plans for Saint Anselm College. In terms of academics they would like more students to be involved in the curriculum review, which they hope will allow students to choose any of the current majors as their minor. They also want to keep the Anselmian Pride Student Scholarship in place, which is presented to a student in each grade that “exemplifies what it means to be an Anselmian.”
In order to promote health and safety at the institution, Robinson and Bowen have several plans in mind. First, they would like the fitness center to open at 6 AM each morning so students have the option of exercising before classes commence. Also, they want to arrange a designated driver program with the bars in Manchester.
“We would like to work with local bars in Manchester for a designated driver program. If a student pledges to be the designated driver for the night, the student would get free non-alcoholic beverages for the evening,” explains Bowen.
Robinson and Bowen also hope to foster student involvement both at sporting events and campus activities by assigning a section solely for the Hawks’ fans, as well as creating additional weekend alternatives for students. And for all of those students who attended the Winter Ball, the Robinson/Bowen team would like to make this a tradition at the college,
“Our first priority, however, will always be the students of Saint Anselm College. As student leaders we will work together to make sure that you, the students, have a voice. The two of us have so much passion for this school, and we want to use it to make this great institution even better,” concludes Robinson.
Senior Joe Gill said “as a lover of campaigns and elections I am disappointed to see an unopposed race, but with that being said I am confident that Lyndsay and Steve will continue the hard work and dedication put forth by Lyndsay and Shaun this year in an attempt to better student life on campus. I wish them continued success.
Students can vote for SGA President and VP on Feb 14 and 15.