After winning Ball State's 2020 Student Government Association (SGA) election Feb. 25, Bold will be inaugurated as the SGA executive slate for the 2020-21 academic year April 15 at SGA's weekly meeting.
The Daily News asked Bold slate members to list their previous and current involvement with SGA and other student organizations and answer a few questions.
Here are the slate members' responses:
President: Connor Sanburn
Year and Major: Junior telecommunications major
SGA Affiliation: Chief of staff of current executive slate Elevate
Organizations: Project manager specialist at Digital Corps, former secretary and current member of Sigma Chi Fraternity
Hobbies: Reading about leadership, urban planning, and personal development, practicing and teaching yoga, drinking coffee and petting big dogs
What would you like to accomplish in SGA: Of course I would love to accomplish all of BOLD’s platform points, but I plan to reinforce our relationship with several organizations who have been left out of the legislative process. This will look like my slate and me determining ways to go about it with the help of our cabinet and senate members.
What are your personal ambitions with SGA: I want to make the Student Government Association an integrated part of getting things done as a student at our university.
Why are you best suited for this position?: As the current chief of staff, I have had on hand experience with working with the current slate to complete their points and what it takes to create points. I’ve also had the necessary leadership experiences in my on-campus job and Fraternity.
What does it mean to be a part of Bold?: To be part of BOLD means one stands for bold leadership, bold ideas for our campus, and bold relationships that are going to be built. BOLD is involved, experienced, and excited to leave this campus better than we found it.
Vice president: Jordyn Blythe
Year and Major: Sophomore communications studies and political science major
SGA Affiliation: Senator, member of the at-large caucus, current chair of the diversity and multicultural affairs committee
Organizations: Ball State speech team, peer mentor in the Honors College, member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Hobbies: Reading, dancing, listening to music
What would you like to accomplish in SGA: I am very excited for the opportunity to have a hand in diversity training for faculty and staff, rolling out the cross-cultural dialogues course, and encouraging senators to get involved with the campus more.
What are your personal ambitions with SGA: I hope to get more students who represent marginalized identities involved in student government as well as improve upon my own leadership skills with a larger body to preside over.
Why are you best suited for this position?: I have a really good relationship with many senators and this will help me preside over the Senate effectively as well as make it easier for them to come to me with questions. Additionally, my communication skills will help me complete platform points alongside my slate efficiently.
What does it mean to be a part of Bold?: Being BOLD means being unafraid to change and to never back down from pursuing what this student body wants. I am so honored to be a part of a group who cares so genuinely about our students and their experience, and I am excited to get to work.
Secretary: Gina Esposito
Year and Major: Sophomore public communications major
SGA Affiliation: Senator, member of the rules and constitution committee, chair of the collegiate caucus and student services committee, former whip of academic affairs committee, former representative of Johnson A Residence Hall
Organizations: Ball State debate team, member of the dean’s collegiate advisory committee
Hobbies: Spending time with my friends, traveling to new places when I can afford it, watching sappy romance movies alone and occasionally going on a refreshing run
What would you like to accomplish in SGA: Our proposed initiatives and so much more
What are your personal ambitions with SGA: My personal ambition is to re-establish the presence SGA has with the student community. I plan on increasing Organizational Caucus seats within Senate through developing greater transparency and communication among organizations so that way they know they have a voice too.
Why are you best suited for this position?: Even though my communication skills give me a leg up, I feel that I am best suited for this position because I’m persistent, but not overbearing. To be a good Secretary, the way one communicates is essential. A Secretary needs to be friendly enough for people to feel invited to work with, while also holding a structured stance with progress.
What does it mean to be a part of Bold?: Being BOLD means changing the narrative of SGA. It’s about using our platform to make moves on behalf of the students that are not commonly heard or accommodated for. By doing this, we are going to set a new standard for the organization as a whole and hopefully increase the SGA presence on campus.
Treasurer: Amanda Mustaklem
Year and Major: Sophomore business analytics major
SGA Affiliation: None
Organizations: Member of the Chi Omega Sorority
Hobbies: Workout and painting
What would you like to accomplish in SGA: I would like to take more of an active role in the Senate from previous slates and being able to properly accommodate SGA funds.
What are your personal ambitions with SGA: l hope to get more students involved in SGA and spread the word of what SGA offers to the student body.
Why are you best suited for this position?: I believe that I’m best suited for this job because I bring in non-SGA experience and that is helpful because I represent all the students that aren’t involved in SGA. Even though I lack SGA experience I make it up in how I’ve worked with my father and his business. I helped him with inventory and reporting transactions.
What does it mean to be a part of Bold?: Being Bold means being able to make changes on campus. It means hearing out all the students who have been silenced and shut down. It means Creating an open and comfortable environment for all faculty and staff. It means always working with the students, and hearing out their ideas and needs. Being bold means moving towards a brighter future and changing things for the better. It means leaving a legacy of change and sticking to our word.
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