Ball State’s Student Government Association (SGA) swore in the RISE ticket Wednesday afternoon.
Vice President Chiara Biddle began the ceremony with an awards ceremony to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of the 2021-22 senate.
After the ceremony, the 2021-22 executive board gave speeches about their time on the senate.
SGA’s Chief of Staff Joseph Gassensmith, who acted as campaign manager for both the Strive and RISE ticket, began the executive speeches.
“I got a text from Chiara telling me that she and Tina needed to meet with me urgently. I had no idea what it could have been about and I was really unprepared, but I met them both at Kinghorn late that night.” Gassensmith said. “‘Do you want to manage our campaign?' was the question that set it all into motion. It was the beginning of Strive as we know it, and it was the beginning of an executive board with intentions to function very differently than in years past.”
Gassensmith spoke about how he got involved with SGA through his fraternity, Sigma Chi, and how he became the youngest chief of staff in SGA history as a freshman.
Treasurer Jacob Bartolotta gave a speech about an experience he had while making his Safezone buttons. His buttons had different pronouns and identities on them, which follows Safezone’s belief of providing a safe environment for the Ball State LGBTQ community.
He talked about an interaction he had with a student who told him they felt heard for the first time. Bartolotta said that interaction stuck with him.
“When you work for SGA, please remember the students who don’t feel seen or heard,” Bartolotta said.
Parliamentarian Chase Braden led the senator’s oath to swear in the senators for the 2022-23 school year. A total of 10 senators were sworn in.
SGA inaugurated President Pro Tempore-elect Riley Wert, Chief Administrator-elect Jimmy Mitchell and Treasurer-elect Mamed Ramazanli, along with the president and vice president-elect.
President-elect Nguyen and Vice President-elect Monet Lindstrand were sworn in last. Nguyen is the first SGA president to serve two terms, Gassensmith said while he inaugurated her in.
“Senate next year will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” Nguyen said. “We will put the students’ wants and needs first. This means that the exec will push for more impactful resolutions and projects rather than amendments that only affect SGA.”
Contact Hannah Amos with comments at hannah.amos@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Hannah_Amos_394.
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