Griffiths and Tatum Win SGA Election
Griffiths and Walker speaking to supporters after their victory announcement.
March 31, 2022
This afternoon, students gathered in the memorial student center to watch the announcement to see who would become the next student body president and vice president. The winners, Bella Griffiths and Walker Tatum, won in a landslide vote. Bella, still in her scrubs from clinicals, thanked supporters in a short speech after the announcement.
Griffiths will serve in the position of student body president, acting as a representative of Marshall’s students. She will also serve on the university’s board of governors as the sole student representative.
Tatum, now stepping into the role of student body vice president, will take charge of organizing and overseeing the SGA’s weekly meetings among other duties within the organization.
Throughout their campaign, Griffiths and Tatum pushed on the fronts of “the three E’s,” which they defined as Engage, Equip, and Empower.
“We have created a plan of action with a comprehensive and competent team to help us achieve those goals,” the campaign’s Instagram page said.
Griffiths, a Yeager scholar, has an extensive history with student government. She currently serves as SGA vice president under Alyssa Parks and, prior to the Parks administration, Griffiths served as the secretary of alumni engagement within the Williams/Powers administration. Griffiths also won two prior elections for senator but stepped down to serve as secretary of alumni engagement and vice president. She plans to build on what she and current president Parks have started while also working with her new cabinet to follow through with her campaign promises.
Tatum, meanwhile, has been involved with several campus-based organizations while having served as an SGA senator for the College of Science under the finance committee. As a commuting student, he plans to collaborate with Griffiths to improve the commuter experience.
Along with their new positions, as mentioned in the SGA constitution, the president and vice president wield a considerable amount of executive power and authority over the SGA with significant roles in the organization’s weekly meeting while also presiding over the annual fountain ceremony.
