New SGA officers (left to right) Spencer Wieters, Vice President of Student Life; Margaret Leonard, Speaker of the Senate; Samantha Hauff, Vice President of Academic Affairs; Ella Casto-Waters, SGA President; Hallie Cohen, Vice President of Operations; and Emma Erwin, Clerk.

Presbyterian College’s esteemed Student Government Association recently saw its annual transfer of power ceremony as the former executive cabinet relieved their positions and inducted newly voted members.

Each student took an oath to honor and uphold their executive position of office. Members of the executive cabinet were voted on by the entire student body last semester.

“Being involved in SGA is one of the most rewarding things I have done since I began college. It teaches you many valuable skills, including leadership, reliability, and teamwork,” said newly vice president for operations, Hallie Cohen.

The positions up for nomination were president, vice president of student life, vice president of operations, vice president of academic affairs, speaker of the Senate, and clerk.

The newly elected officers are:

• Student Body President – Ella Casto-Waters, a junior English major from Greer
• Vice President of Student Life – Spencer Wieters, a sophomore data analytics, business management, and accounting major from Abbeville
• Vice President of Operations – Hallie Cohen, a sophomore biology and psychology major from Columbia
• Vice President of Academic Affairs – Samantha Hauff, an English communication studies major from Bethlehem, Ga.
• Speaker of the Senate – Margaret Leonard, a sophomore biology major from Rock Hill
• Clerk – Emma Erwin, a sophomore business, management, and marketing major from Danville, Ky.

As president, Casto-Waters presides over the entire SGA cabinet and class officers – a role she has prepared herself for over the last several years. She formerly served on the executive cabinet as the V.P. for academic affairs and has been involved in SGA for much of her collegiate career.

“SGA allowed me to immerse myself in PC’s student leadership from the moment I stepped foot on campus,” she said. “It has been a privilege to learn and grow through such a prominent organization on campus.”

In a run-off election for vice president of student life, Wieters prevailed and was sworn into office this semester. Though not involved in SGA prior to the recent election, Wieters is passionate about the quality of student life on campus – making him more than fit for the role.

Wieters lists some of his goals while in office.

“I want a larger cohesion for Recognized Student Organizations on campus, push for higher student involvement in campus events, and create/revamp organizations that give students a larger voice,” he said.

Another newly-elected officer who was not in an officer role prior to her election is the V.P. for academic affairs, Samantha Hauff.

Hauff is very passionate about academics at PC and hopes to use her position to act as a liaison in constantly improving the quality of academic programs and student-professor relationships within the college.

“Education is commonly known as ‘the great equalizer’ between people of contrasting backgrounds,” said Hauff. “My goal as VPAA is to close as many barriers of entry as possible and make PC a place where all students can succeed. I hope to chart a path for success that is accessible to the entire student body.”

Cohen, the new vice president for operations, was formerly a representative of her class in the operations committee this past year and ran for the executive position this year because she was seeking bigger responsibility within the organization.

“I learned so much about the finances and RSO’s while representing my class, and I wanted to represent the student body on behalf of the perations side of SGA,” she said. “The operations part of SGA normally gets overlooked because we do not typically plan and host events, but we are the ones who are running the finances for the entirety of SGA and overseeing the RSO’s on campus. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to do this and I can’t wait to see what the operations committee has in store for this term!”

Leonard, the new speaker, is the glue that holds the SGA senate meetings together. Leonard ran for the position to challenge herself, step out of her comfort zone, and successfully command a room.

“I want to use my voice in the best way I can for our campus,” she said. “I know that many students have opinions about the way PC operates but might be too afraid to say them. I want to properly use my platform for every voice on campus.”

Erwin, the appointed clerk, manages all the behind-the-scenes work in SGA. Without the Clerk, all the little puzzle pieces of SGA would not fit together.

“As clerk, I am able to help keep the executive cabinet and the Senate organized by keeping minutes, running the SGA social media account, and the upkeep of service hours,” said Erwin.

Each of the SGA positions are important to properly representing and advocating for the entire student body on campus. PC congratulates the newly-elected members and looks forward to the service they will do for the college over the course of their term.

The college also congratulates the past members who served on the SGA cabinet:

• Ralph Guerra, Student Body President
• Grace Hoover, Speaker
• Avery Fogle, Vice President of Student Life
• Kennedy Perry, Vice President of Operations
• Ella Casto-Waters, Vice President of Academic Affairs
• Johannah Bodkin, Clerk