EDITORIAL: New SGA president Marie Reimers has blueprint to follow
Saginaw sophomore Marie Reimers was given a mandate to lead following last week's Student Government Association election, which she won with 76 percent of the vote, and she must act to build on the progress the SGA has made over the past year.
Former SGA President Justin Gawronski's term in office was far from perfect, but he was the first SGA president in a long time who can point to tangible accomplishments as he leaves office. He made his voice heard by acting on several things the student body wanted to see done, such as restoring tailgate and opposing the proposed academic calendar change.
He was more or less able to make the SGA the voice of the student body rather than the elitist, insulated club it had become.
Because of that, the SGA is much more respected throughout campus.
Reimers needs to build off of this newfound respect. Students are becoming more open to the SGA and are now expecting them to achieve tangible things rather than largely symbolic victories.
Reimers has some projects in mind, like the women's center, which would be located in the basement of Anspach Hall and will aim to provide a safe place for women on campus. In addition, Reimers campaigned that she will work with Campus Dining to label foods for students with allergies. She's also looking to end CMU's involvement with companies that don't promote environmental sustainability.
While all of these projects sound good in theory, they're all near and dear to Reimers' heart, and she needs to remember she hasn't been elected to only represent her own interests, but also the interests of the entire student body.
While campaigning, Reimers met with numerous registered student organizations to hear what changes they'd like to see made through SGA. She needs to continue this campus-wide involvement and make herself accessible to students across campus, like Gawronski did.
