President: Colin Christenson Vice President: Dylan Johnson Senate Clerk / Elections Officer: Kayla Duncan Chief of Staff: Jarrett Dunning Treasurer: Carter Aylor Head of Judiciary Board: Aaron Gillespie Head of Public Relations: Lillian Minix Head of Multicultural Affairs: Sheree Hairston Cabinet meetings are held each Sunday at 4 p.m. |
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State of the College Address
Good evening. This is the first time I have had the honor of giving the State of the College Address on behalf of the Emory & Henry College community. I am truly grateful to stand before one of the strongest bodies of the Student Government that I have ever seen and report that despite the challenges we have faced this year, the State of the College is Strong.
So far this year, the Student Government has demonstrated many successes for which each of you should be applauded.
The Rules Committee has established a system of accountability to which Senators will be held.
The Budget Committee passed an honest and equitable budget.
And the discourse on the floor of this Senate Chamber has been professional, intelligent, critical, and just. I can safely say that all those present have taken seriously each meeting of this Senate, pushing the discussion and the examination of our actions further each session. This is a true testament to our College’s conviction to Increase in Excellence.
My Cabinet and I have constantly worked to bring our platform to fruition throughout this semester. For our efforts, we are now seeing these projects set in motion. The Mural on the Merc is scheduled to be painted on Thursday (which you should all go and help out with, no experience required). President Reichard has approved the picnic tables between MS and Miller Halls and we are now working with the shop class at Patrick Henry High School to complete this project. We are continuing to work with the Grounds Management to decide on a landscape design for around the stone arches, which we hope to complete during the spring semester.
Our individual Cabinet Members have fulfilled their duties well beyond even my own expectations. Donte had hosted a weekly radio show, Vibe Time, promoting smooth R&B and Hip-hop music on our campus radio station. Emily has made sure all of our initiatives are well advertised and has launched an SGA twitter and Facebook account as well as our own SGA website. Cortney has successfully run several—perhaps too many—elections and Meredith has done an outstanding job stepping up to the plate as Vice President. Aaron has ruled judicial affairs with outstanding ability and is currently working hard to follow up on the student forum from last month. Carter has done a stellar job with the budget despite all of the monetary setbacks Student Government faced this semester. Colin has been my right-hand man this past month and I can never thank him enough for all of his help.
Even with these many successes, there is still much more we can do as a Senate. The three pillars of the platform of my administration are all in motion and we have purposely left the next semester open to be hyper responsive to the Student Body. Tonight, I charge each of you as Senators so too, be hyper responsive to your constituents. Find out what projects that they would like to see the SGA complete for them. Determine what ideas and let us work together to add another check mark next to an SGA project initiative. In the words of Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” Whether you are a Senator, Judicial Counselor, or a Cabinet member, take a few more shots next semester than you did this semester. Everyone can improve, and I would be remiss if I did not stand here tonight and proclaim that although the College is Strong, we can each take more shots at making this College even Stronger.
I’d also like to share with you the words of the great American poet and hip-hop artist of our generation, Tupac Shakur: “Through every dark night, there’s a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep ya head up….and handle it.” In the spirit of these words, I have done my best to lead this Student Government and this Student Body through the trials and tribulations we faced in October. Though we stumbled, we handled it together, and we are seeing great success. However, just as we have come to cope with the dismissal of our former SGA President, we need to take proactive steps next semester to ensure that it does not happen again.
Students at this College and within this Chamber have raised their voices in dissent throughout this situation. They did so because they felt powerless—because they felt that the authority of this Senate had been stripped. The time to wallow, waif, in dissent is no longer. Now is the time for you, the Emory & Henry College Student Senate, to formulate a practicable remedial scheme for a clause of our Constitution that remains unjustly incomplete. It will not be easy. There will be many disagreements on this floor. But in the face of this adversity that has left the very constituents you sit here now representing feeling wronged and powerless, it is your duty to empower them through the appropriate channels. After all, that’s why we’re all here in the first place. So in the spirit of Tupac, stick your chest out, keep ya head up, and handle it—re-empower your constituents.
I wouldn’t place the burden of this challenge upon you if I didn’t think you were capable of taking care of it. But you are capable—extremely capable—and I look forward to the many successes that we will gather to celebrate at the closing of next semester.
Thank you for all the hard work you have put into this semester—keep it up, fight harder, and Increase in Excellence.
Thank you, God Bless you, and goodnight.
Yancey Wilmoth
Student Government President
Senate Meeting - Dec. 3, 2012
State of the College Address
Good evening. This is the first time I have had the honor of giving the State of the College Address on behalf of the Emory & Henry College community. I am truly grateful to stand before one of the strongest bodies of the Student Government that I have ever seen and report that despite the challenges we have faced this year, the State of the College is Strong.
So far this year, the Student Government has demonstrated many successes for which each of you should be applauded.
The Rules Committee has established a system of accountability to which Senators will be held.
The Budget Committee passed an honest and equitable budget.
And the discourse on the floor of this Senate Chamber has been professional, intelligent, critical, and just. I can safely say that all those present have taken seriously each meeting of this Senate, pushing the discussion and the examination of our actions further each session. This is a true testament to our College’s conviction to Increase in Excellence.
My Cabinet and I have constantly worked to bring our platform to fruition throughout this semester. For our efforts, we are now seeing these projects set in motion. The Mural on the Merc is scheduled to be painted on Thursday (which you should all go and help out with, no experience required). President Reichard has approved the picnic tables between MS and Miller Halls and we are now working with the shop class at Patrick Henry High School to complete this project. We are continuing to work with the Grounds Management to decide on a landscape design for around the stone arches, which we hope to complete during the spring semester.
Our individual Cabinet Members have fulfilled their duties well beyond even my own expectations. Donte had hosted a weekly radio show, Vibe Time, promoting smooth R&B and Hip-hop music on our campus radio station. Emily has made sure all of our initiatives are well advertised and has launched an SGA twitter and Facebook account as well as our own SGA website. Cortney has successfully run several—perhaps too many—elections and Meredith has done an outstanding job stepping up to the plate as Vice President. Aaron has ruled judicial affairs with outstanding ability and is currently working hard to follow up on the student forum from last month. Carter has done a stellar job with the budget despite all of the monetary setbacks Student Government faced this semester. Colin has been my right-hand man this past month and I can never thank him enough for all of his help.
Even with these many successes, there is still much more we can do as a Senate. The three pillars of the platform of my administration are all in motion and we have purposely left the next semester open to be hyper responsive to the Student Body. Tonight, I charge each of you as Senators so too, be hyper responsive to your constituents. Find out what projects that they would like to see the SGA complete for them. Determine what ideas and let us work together to add another check mark next to an SGA project initiative. In the words of Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” Whether you are a Senator, Judicial Counselor, or a Cabinet member, take a few more shots next semester than you did this semester. Everyone can improve, and I would be remiss if I did not stand here tonight and proclaim that although the College is Strong, we can each take more shots at making this College even Stronger.
I’d also like to share with you the words of the great American poet and hip-hop artist of our generation, Tupac Shakur: “Through every dark night, there’s a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep ya head up….and handle it.” In the spirit of these words, I have done my best to lead this Student Government and this Student Body through the trials and tribulations we faced in October. Though we stumbled, we handled it together, and we are seeing great success. However, just as we have come to cope with the dismissal of our former SGA President, we need to take proactive steps next semester to ensure that it does not happen again.
Students at this College and within this Chamber have raised their voices in dissent throughout this situation. They did so because they felt powerless—because they felt that the authority of this Senate had been stripped. The time to wallow, waif, in dissent is no longer. Now is the time for you, the Emory & Henry College Student Senate, to formulate a practicable remedial scheme for a clause of our Constitution that remains unjustly incomplete. It will not be easy. There will be many disagreements on this floor. But in the face of this adversity that has left the very constituents you sit here now representing feeling wronged and powerless, it is your duty to empower them through the appropriate channels. After all, that’s why we’re all here in the first place. So in the spirit of Tupac, stick your chest out, keep ya head up, and handle it—re-empower your constituents.
I wouldn’t place the burden of this challenge upon you if I didn’t think you were capable of taking care of it. But you are capable—extremely capable—and I look forward to the many successes that we will gather to celebrate at the closing of next semester.
Thank you for all the hard work you have put into this semester—keep it up, fight harder, and Increase in Excellence.
Thank you, God Bless you, and goodnight.
Yancey Wilmoth
Student Government President
Senate Meeting - Dec. 3, 2012