Earlier this month at a Student Government Association meeting, a new president was sworn in.

SGA met for their 51st Inaugural meeting on Monday, April 19 and there,  former SGA President, Michael Lilholt, swore in the incoming president, Ian Klenk. Vice President, Jenna Vinoya, will continue to be Vice President from the last term. The executive board was also publicly sworn in. 

After the swearing in for new roles, sophomore President Klenk explained the guidelines for serving. According to Klenk, SGA is a deliberative assembly made up by members of the student body to represent the student body. In the coming term, each meeting will have an agenda designed by the executive board that will be sent out to all senators 48 hours in advance – thus giving them time to approve it. 

In his coming term, Klenk hopes to increase transparency. “One of the main goals of the student government is to continue, if not improve, the government structure that we have created in the student government.” 

Klenk wants students to be aware that the student government is a place for creating real change that will go on to affect the student body. Students can keep their eyes out for a potential SGA website coming, according to Klenk. But for now, students are encouraged to contact their SGA senators via email – either personal or at [email protected]. 

At the meeting, Senators and the executive board had the opportunity to get to know each other and practice the formal format in which meetings will be held. They hope to influence “real and substantial change in day to day lives of St. John Fisher College students, ” something Klenk said is aided by the fact that “the college wants to work with us to make this campus a better place.” 

Senator and nursing major, Matthew Cieplicki ’24, hopes to work on a peer mentoring program for nursing students “to build a bridge between first and second year students, and those in clinicals.” 

Cieplicki added that SGA as a whole will work to meet the demands of what the student body is asking for. “There are a lot of committees and a lot of people looking for and asking where we need change.” Cieplicki hopes that students feel comfortable coming to their SGA senators and advocating their ideas and needs. “We are regular students too – we just want to push for change and advocate for our peers.” 

Director of Financial Affairs for SGA Nate Lewis ‘24, said that, “SGA hopes to strengthen the existing structure of the SGA as an association able to make real change possible on campus.” According to Lewis, they plan on being a support to clubs and organizations on campus, as well as promoting discussions about community, equity, and inclusion while also tackling anything their constituents bring to them. 

“We serve them(the student body), not the other way around. We work best when we can take students’ ideas and concerns and turn them into initiatives”. 

Now that inauguration has taken place, students are encouraged to bring any concerns to the attention of their senator and the Executive Board.