SGA Is The Way
Members of the Student Government Association emphasize their message
Imagine an organization on campus that is made up of students who are passionate, hardworking, and will do everything in their power to serve the student body and to make sure everyone’s voice is heard. Accepting, courageous, justice, purpose, change: These are all words that members use to describe the Student Government Association.
SGA has 3 core values: “We Listen, We Care, and We Serve.” Each one of these values explains just how SGA is here to support and serve the students of CNU.
We Listen: “SGA provides an outlet for students to be able to voice their comments, questions, and concerns.”
We Care: “SGA bridges the gap between students and administration by maintaining positive communication.”
We Serve: “SGA wants to give back to the CNU community by serving to our highest ability.”
SGA Executive Vice President Amari Mitchell’23 explains, “I see [SGA] as one of the campus’s most underrated, yet most impactful organizations. It deserves recognition because so many initiatives are worked on behind the scenes that individuals do not know of.”
It is a common misunderstanding that Student Government is some form of Student Honor Council however, this is not the case. “It is directly for the students and has a lot of power to help clubs and organizations, individuals, minorities, disabled, and everyone who attends CNU. It is not meant to reprimand people for wrongdoings, but give an outlet for creating change,” Mitchell says.
In their meetings, SGA focuses on many different issues facing the campus community. Membership Development Committee Delegate Connor Butterworth ‘24 says, “The Student Government Association means a chance for me to voice the concerns of my peers in a safe, guided environment where I can learn all about how to take action for what is going on.”
Topics that have been discussed at previous meetings include: organizing an open forum for students to express their concerns about different issues, planning for Staff Appreciation Day in March, creating an awareness statement about the toxicity of YikYak and why students should refrain from using it, a card drive for RA Appreciation Week, and so much more.
“To me, SGA is a select group of students who specifically care about the well-being of their community. We want to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard, and that there is no power dynamic held between the students here as well as the administration,” says Marketing Committee Delegate Fiona St. Clair ’26.
Student Affairs Chair Abbie Domingue ’25 wants to emphasize that, “We are here to listen to students! All leadership team members have office hours in the DSU and are very accessible to students; come say hi!”
The SGA office is located on the third floor of the David Student Union (DSU) in room 367. Along with their open office hours there are also open delegation meetings every other Monday in McMurran 101. SGA highly encourages everyone to utilize the resources they provide, so they can assist the student body in every way they can. Following is a list of the SGA Leadership team, their emails, and their office hours:
Celine Rosario, President
Mondays and Wednesdays 12:00-1:00PM
Amari Mitchell, Executive Vice President
Thursdays 11:00AM-1:00PM
Katelyn Bennett, Chief of Staff
Fridays 1:00-2:00PM
Rachel Hoefner, VP of Finance
Tuesdays 10:00AM-12:00PM
Mckenzie Hurley, VP of Marketing & Communications
Thursdays 9:00-11:00AM
Brooke Patten, VP of Membership Development
Mondays 10:00AM-12:00PM
Ethan Losee, Legislative Affairs Chair
Wednesdays 8:30-10:30AM
Jasmine King, Academic Affairs Chair
Tuesdays 3:00-4:00PM
Abbie Domingue, Student Affairs Chair
Mondays 2:00-3:00PM
Jamie Canty, Community Outreach Chair
Fridays 9:00-10:00AM
Your donation will support the student journalists of Christopher Newport University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
