Belmont’s Student Government Association added 11 new names to its 40-seat senate.
The polls closed Tuesday afternoon and the newly elected senators have been briefed. They will attend their first SGA General Assembly meeting Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., the first in-person session of the semester. The meeting is open to all students.
The new senators come from a wide range of backgrounds and majors and all have their own goals for what they want to accomplish at Belmont.
Jaelyn Phillips is a junior political science major from Oneida, Tennessee.
“I ran for election because I am passionate about people, government and unity,” Phillips said.
Phillips looks to use her position in office to bolster Belmont’s community “through encouraging unity, kindness and compassion for one another, while working to achieve the common good for all Belmont students.”
Osayd Alammuri campaigned out of a sense of urgency, “wanting to better student life here on campus for every demographic of people,” according to SGA’s website.
Alammuri has a history of community service, volunteering his time at health clinics and homeless shelters as well as youth programs in the Nashville area.
Primarily, Alammuri is looking to improve on three areas of student life: technology, safety and the proper execution of diversity and inclusion, he said.
Carly Pinter is a legal studies major with aspirations of attending law school.
“I want Belmont to provide the best learning environment possible for myself and fellow students, but in order to do so, there must be accountability on both the side of the students, as well as administration,” said Pinter on SGA’s website.
Deya Russell is hoping to act as “a symbol of hope for all Belmont minorities,” according to the site.
Russell campaigned on the idea that her Kurdish background gives her a never-give-up mindset, pledging to find any possible way to serve those in need on campus.
Junior Yezen Alhamda sees Belmont as an increasingly diverse group of students.
Alhamda is looking to pass bills that strengthen Belmont’s identity, while allowing people’s differences to improve community among students, rather than weaken it, she said.
Senior Issa Shaltaf, a student of few words, simply wants “to make a change in the community,” according to SGA’s website.
Junior Keidron Turner, a politics and public law major, volunteered in presidential debate hosted at Belmont in 2020 and has experience working in Tennessee’s state capitol.
He campaigned on the hope that every student would have an equal opportunity to leave a legacy on Belmont’s campus and in Nashville.
Senior Leslie De Leon has held several campus leadership roles in Towering Traditions and Belmont’s Office of Leadership and Development, and she is hoping to put her skills to work.
“I want to create a better university experience for current students and the future generations to come,” says De Leon on the SGA elections page.
McKenzie Larrimore sees the SGA senate as a position of honor.
“Whether it be by helping even the smallest voices be heard or planning a fundraiser, I want to be there to lend a hand,” says Larrimore according to the website.
Junior Annalie Malone ran for Senate election because she has been looking for ways to get plugged in and involved in leadership at Belmont, she said.
She wants to work with students to make Belmont’s campus a place of growth and fellowship.
Joshua Sawiers would like to be the change he wants to see on Belmont’s campus.
Sawiers recognizes Belmont’s growing diversity but believes that there’s a growing divide between the university’s academic programs and majors.
“I want to be on the Senate so I can bridge the gaps between the various communities on campus so that they can help and learn from each other as well as enjoy what each has to offer,” said Sawiers.
With strong words from the new crop of senators, they will now go on to serve the student body they represent.
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This article was written by David Pang.