Marshall’s Student Government Association closed senate session 73 and opened senate session 74 Tuesday afternoon, with the swearing in of new senators, the nomination and approval of new officers and approval of Executive Cabinet officers taking precedence.

The session 74 meeting established the senators and officers for the 2016-2017 year. Nominations and approvals were held for the positions of president pro-tempore, parliamentarian, treasurer, campus life and service committee chair and senate apprenticeship director.

Newly elected SGA officers are as follows:

Apprenticeship director is a new office within the senate. O’Donnell assisted in the creation of the position with a previous resolution that reformed the senate apprenticeship program.

According to O’Donnell, the apprenticeship director office requires an individual who is free to promote the SGA throughout the fall and spring semesters, as well as during summer orientations. Prior to Uliana’s approval, O’Donnell said the first individual to hold the office would be able to make it their own.

“You can make it be whatever you want it to be because you are the first person,” O’Donnell said. “I highly encourage people who are outgoing, who want to see the apprenticeship program grow.”

Additionally, INTO progression coordinator Michelle Barbour was approved as a senate advisor.

Following the approval of senate officers, the senate approved the following executive cabinet officers for the Jarvis-Kinner administration:

Interim dean of student affairs Carla Lapelle swore in the senate, new members and old, for session 74. Senators swore to uphold the constitutions of the United States of America, the state of West Virginia, Marshall University and the Student Government Association.

Senate vice president Emily Kinner opened the meeting with thanks to former student body president and vice president Duncan Waugaman and Isabelle Rogner.

“Thank you to Duncan and Izzy for being great leaders,” Kinner said. “Being role models for Matt and I to look up to.”

In the closing session 73 meeting, Waugaman said his farewells to the senate and thanked senate members for making his experience as student body president a pleasant experience.

“This has been a great two years,” Waugaman said. “Really what makes all of this worth it is you guys and I can’t ever stress that enough. All of you have really impacted not only what I’ve been able to do, what Izzy and I have been able to do, but our experience in this as well. And I think that’s what I take away from this the most.”

During the closing session 73 meeting, Lapelle informed the senate they would be receiving the full amount of funding for next semester, dispelling previous rumors that SGA would be facing budget cuts.

“Phase three of funding for the university gave you guys 100 percent of last year’s funding,” Lapelle said.

Additionally, a funding bill for the Et Cetera Literary Guild was approved during the final Session 73 meeting.

New SGA staff members:

President pro tempore – Alex O’Donnell

Parliamentarian – Ethan Higginbotham

Treasurer – Eli Duduit

Chairwoman of the campus life and service committee – Sophia Mills

Historian – Mya Linden

Sergeant-at-arms – Akeem Curenton

Apprenticeship director – Nick Uliana

Chief of staff – Ryan Taylor

Business manager – Luke Cooley

Press secretary – Rachel Sleichter

Diversity liaison – Darius Booker

Greek liaison – Brandon Metzger

Veteran’s affairs liaison – Keith Schemel

Jared Casto can be contacted at [email protected]