By Shea Stine

Wednesday marked the official beginning of a new era in Quincy University’s Student Government Association as President Gino Grivetti, Vice President Mary Argana and the newly-elected senate members officially took office.

Father John Doctor, who is a faculty advisor and swore in each of the elected officials, gave a speech in which he had high hopes for the new SGA structure as well as the new students in charge.

“Be proactive and really be a voice for the concerns of the students,” Doctor said. “Also be proactive when a decision is made that didn’t take into account the student voice. Don’t be afraid to come before the administration and say ‘Why weren’t we consulted, and why wasn’t our voice heard in relationship to the decision?’ So as we enter this new phase, we ask God’s blessing that you have ears to hear and tongues that say what needs to be said.”

Fr. John Doctor swears in SGA Vice-President Mary Argana

SGA’s former president, Lauren Beeman, who did not seek re-election but was integral in forming the new SGA system, hopes the students will do exactly as Doctor said.

“My advice would be to always put the students first and remember you are supposed to serve the people you lead,” she said. “I think keeping that in the back of your head when working with administrators is the most important thing. It allows you to preserve relationships and connect with people who will get things done.”

Newly-elected SGA senate members

As part of the transition, the club representatives that previously represented the students were dismissed after the senators were sworn in. Grivetti held a meeting with the newly-elected senators following the swearing-in. Grivetti, Argana and the rest of the senate now have the responsibility of representing the students in the midst of the university’s financial crisis. In addition, they will be the first administration to have the task of implementing the new system designed by Beeman, Alex Tedrow and Annie Arment throughout the spring.

The system is meant to make the SGA more direct in its representation of the students. The senate members will be representing their own classes while Grivetti and Argana have the job of representing the entire student body to the administration.

Grivetti said that the new administration discussed ideas on new meeting times, but they have not decided on an official new time to meet.