Student government association hosts meet and greet event ahead of elections

Kaylee Rex
Arts & Culture Editor

The nine candidates for the Executive Board positions for the Student Government Association gathered Monday night in the SMC Atrium. Each candidate was given five minutes to explain to the students in the audience why they should be elected to their position. The positions up for elections include Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach, Vice President of Student Organizations, Vice President of Finance, and Student Body President. Voting will occur from Feb. 19 through Feb. 23 in the SMC.

Vice President of Student Organization


The VP of Student Organizations is responsible for the constitutions of organizations on campus and the creation of new student organizations. Brooke Clouse, a junior who has been in SGA for a year, cited her past positions as qualifications for the VP of Student Organizations position. She has been a part of the Bylaws Committee, Constitution Committee, and was elected to be the Junior Class Representative last semester. As the VP of Student Organizations, she would make the SGA Get Involved page more user friendly and create a Cheat Sheet for organizations to better understand SGA’s terms and processes.

The other candidate is Brittnay Goranson, who is a freshman, but assured the students in the audience that her class rank is no reflection of the amount of knowledge she has regarding the SGA. Goranson went to a conference at Kutztown University where she learned about how the other schools in the State System run their student governments. She has also learned about the specifics of the position through her predecessor, Sydney Wilcoxson. As the SGA goes through constitution changes, she believes she can be a “steady person” that sees the changes through.

Vice President of Finance


The Vice President of Finance is responsible for the distribution and allocation of the money in the Student Activity Budget. Poushali Ghosh is running unopposed for this position. She is a Meteorology major with a minor in computer science and mathematics. She has already been in this position for a semester, so she explained that she has the experience necessary. Ghosh would be responsible for allocating anywhere above a million dollars. Her goal as VP of Finance is to increase transparency through open finance meetings and meeting with organizations and individuals to make sure everyone understands how her process works.

Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach


The person elected to this position will be responsible for the student representatives in the SGA, developing community outreach programs, and gaining student’s input about their experiences on campus.

Freshman biology major Evelyn Dais is one of those candidates. She wants to advocate for the student body and make campus better for every color. Dais is involved in the FUSION Step Team and Young Life on campus. She hopes to bring back the Anchor hours in the morning and better Wifi on campus.

Triniti-Lynn Thornhill is an international studies and communication (public relations) major with a minor in French. She has been with the Student Government Association since she began school at Millersville. She is also involved in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Thornhill hopes to fund transportation for students after 11p.m. to Sheetz, HoPi, or other options rather than just the food truck. Because of her personal experiences with mental health, she wants to advocate for better health and counseling services. As a commuter, she wants her fellow commuters to be able to connect with the residential students through better communication and further involvement in clubs and organizations.

Jaelen Green, a sophomore computer science major, started his five minutes off by throwing his original speech written on index cards behind him. He is a part of many cultural groups on campus. His goal as VP of Advocacy and Outreach is for more transparency and to help advocate for any problems students may have. Previously, he has helped advocate for Wifi at the pond, Upper Deck, and Quad.

The last candidate, Abbey Ford, is a sophomore government and economics major with an earth science minor. She was an Executive Board Member on the Sustainability Committee. She hopes to hold the administration accountable for their actions. At the state level, Millersville’s funding has been the same for about 10 years and she believes the students should advocate for state funding more than just once a year on Advocacy Day. She wants the student representatives in SGA to increase their relationships with their constituents. If elected, Ford will hold office hours where she walks around campus as well as create a Twitter account where students can easily voice their concerns.

Student Body President

All photos courtesy of Millersville University.
All photos courtesy of Millersville University.

The Student Body President represents not only the Student Government Association, but the whole student body. They also do a lot of outreach to campus partners like the Alumni Board of Directors and Counsel of Trustees. One of the candidates running for Student Body President is Andrew Tepper, who is a social studies secondary education major. Tepper has served as the Student Representative to Student Services and Student Lodging and as the VP of Student Organizations. If elected, his biggest goals are to increase transparency of the SGA and create a more unified and informed student body. To accomplish this, he will release the minutes from SGA meetings, so students are able to see exactly what is going on.

The other candidate is John Tintera who is a junior early childhood major with a minor in political affairs. He feels as though his past experiences in organizations and employment opportunities will help him succeed in this position. He has been involved with the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), Big Buddies, the SHARP Team, and the Pennsylvania Inclusive Higher Education Consortium (PIHEC). He currently is serving as the Chief Justice for the SGA, so he has gained in depth knowledge of finance. If elected, Tintera aims to improve transparency, inclusivity, and advocacy for the student body. Tintera also wants to advocate for students at the state level, and for the PASSHE system as a whole. He believes everyone has something to bring to the table and each thing brought to the table has value.