It was clear to me from the moment I stepped foot on Belmont’s campus that it was set apart. I saw a student community full of passion and drive with strong opinions from various backgrounds. What resonated in my mind the most was that no matter how diverse opinions were or how different each person’s perspective was, each student seemed to matter for who they were and for the opinions they held because they were a part of the Belmont community.
This is what makes Belmont different and it is something we should be proud of. Belmont’s culture is an embodiment of its individuals, but no matter how different we are, we can stand together as a united student voice.
Unfortunately student government has at times failed to represent the Belmont community in this way. In the past year, Jonathan and I have taken steps forward to improve SGA, but there is still work to be done.
This is why I am running for President of SGA—to ensure that student government is accurately representing the voice of the students and to recenter student government where it should be focused: you.
To ensure that this goal comes to fruition, McLean and I will begin changing the way SGA works internally from the very beginning of our term. SGA is an organization that should have a service-based approach, with its members striving to represent and work for the members of the Belmont community from the ground up. To achieve this most effectively, we support congressional election reform to guarantee that congress members are more accountable to the students they represent.
Outside of SGA’s internal structure, there are many pressing issues, such as fostering effective legislation, offering more engaging student programming, striving to maximize SGA’s budget, and playing a more active role on Belmont’s campus.
As we take steps to tackle these concerns, we recognize the ultimate need to be a pathway for communication between Belmont’s students and administration. Your issues and concerns deserve to be relayed to senior leadership in an effort to find common ground.
Through advocating for you, we hope to bring substantial change to the Belmont community.
Making Belmont the best it can be for you is at the forefront of our minds, but without your views and your input, we cease to be effective in our roles. Join us in standing together as a collective student voice, because we can’t do it without you.
Thank you for your time and support, and we invite you to Chago’s Cantina on Wednesday, March 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. for $6 pollo gringos to hear more about our vision for the coming year.
All the Best,
Jade Cooper and McLean Pillon