Resignation from SGA LVP

Student Government Association's (SGA) Executive Branch and Senate Board are experiencing a  significant transition in leadership. Affective Sept. 7, Legislative Vice President (LVP) senior Ricardo Martinez formally resigned from his position and, according to the SGA Constitution, the Senate Coordinator junior Brock McMorran has been sworn in to fulfill another SGA vacancy. Martinez's resignation from LVP, McMorran's subsequent swearing in as acting LVP and his formal resignation from Senate Coordinator occurred at the beginning of a Student Activity Council's (SAC) routine Wednesday meeting. In his official statement, Martinez said that the reasons are personal and family related. "As much as I love this place, I can't change the things that happen in life," Martinez said.

"God does things for a reason and I am sure he has a plan for me." The overlaying sentiment in SGA is that Martinez will be significantly missed, though the Association must move forward. "In addition to being a great friend, Ricardo has been a tremendous part of this Association for the past two and a half years," Student Body President senior Ryan Alleman said in an official communication from SGA.

"At the same time, I remain supremely confident in the abilities of Legislative Vice President McMorran."

"While I am sad that Ricardo is no longer LVP, I am excited to work with Brock for the rest of our term," said Administrative Vice President senior Lydia Gerlach. "I am confident that our already smooth  transition will continue to be productive  throughout the rest of the year." Because the vacancy on

the Executive Branch caused McMorran to resign from his Senate Coordinator position, the Senate Board witnessed a total of three vacancies last week, as McMorran's vacancy from Senate added to the previous two left by the resignations of former Senators junior Jimmy Geiser and senior Tim McGrath. This past Monday, however, Senate welcomed three new members, as Allem an appointed junior Desmond Dodd, junior Needom Mitchell and sophomore Ricky Narsinghani—a former senator—to the board. The Senate Board will be voting on Sept. 19 for the new Senate Coordinator position. Only five senators are eligible —junior Victoria Masny, junior Meghan Savercool, junior Seth Walsh, sophomore Elizabeth Bousson and sophomore Ricky Narsinghani—as the position requires at least a half-term of experience with Senate. As McMorran transitions into his new role, he is moving from the "whoa" phase, which he voiced in his official statement on Sept. 7, to being "endlessly confident that the new Senate Coordinator will take [his] work, make it their own and be the best they can be." In response to the shift in leadership, the new faces among the Senate Board and the incoming four first-year senators, McMorran said, "Everybody is so new that I don't believe there will be any type of culture shock." Alleman echoes those feelings. "One of the big things that we want to help encourage in SGA this year is new ways of thinking," Alleman said. "We need new approaches. We need more innovative thinking. We need new and different ideas if we're really going to succeed."