Student Government Association senators new and old will need to work together during the next month to productively transition from the 45th administration to the green senators of the 46th.
The 46th administration has 19 new senators and 13 incumbents. Experienced senators began the vital task of bringing the newcomers up to speed at their first official meeting Wednesday.
‘I’m reaching out to members of the 45th administration, the incumbent senators, for their experience,’ SGA President Kenneth Fomunung said.
Fomunung said he wants to be ready to move forward with student government business by as early as the second meeting.
He said he’s already begun the process of building his executive cabinet.’
I anticipate that next meeting, things will really kick it into high gear,’ Fomunung said. ‘We want to be established so that we can hit the ground running next fall.’
Fomunung is an SGA newcomer, as is Vice President Prince Wilson, who said he is eager to get to work.
‘It’s an awesome opportunity for us to work with the students,’ Wilson said. ‘I take it as a privilege and an honor, and I want to do the best I can for our students and our University.’
Both new and experienced SGA senators and executives are collaborating to make the next administration as effective as possible.
‘Me and (former Vice President) Jonas (Chin) keep in contact, and he’s helping me a lot,’ Wilson said. ‘Right now is a period of transition so we’re pretty much working together.’
Despite SGA’s inexperienced majority, expectations for the new administration are high.
‘There are some obstacles,’ Wilson said. ‘I’m confident with the help of everyone, there’s nothing we cannot get over.’
Hotel and Restaurant Management Sen. John Price is one of the 13 returning senators. He said the biggest obstacle for the new legislators is typically learning to assert themselves at meetings.
‘It’s a little bit daunting at first because you don’t really want to say anything and get something wrong,’ Price said. ‘Once you get the flow of the meetings then it gets a lot easier.’
New senators will have to acclimate before they are comfortable interacting with their incumbent colleagues, but Price said he believes they have the motivation to do what is necessary.
‘There’s a lot of homework for them to do,’ Price said. ‘But they seem to have a lot of passion and seem to be very excited to be where they are.’
Learning the rules of parliamentary procedure will be the biggest challenge said Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Sen. Juan Carlos Arreola.
After he masters congressional etiquette, Arreola said he plans to focus on his plans for improving his college.
‘I want to get better advising and also better equipment,’ Arreola said.
