ASUSU inaugurates new council, senators
New 2012-13 ASUSU Executive Council and Academic Senate members were sworn in to their positions as the 2011-12 council and senate members were released Friday at the ASUSU inauguration ceremony.
Incoming ASUSU President Christian Thrapp said next year the council will work its hardest to make sure all students feel they are a part of the university.
“Our goal is to represent and serve the student body to provide them the best university experience,” he said.
Thrapp said specific projects for the 2012-13 school year have already begun, including the creation of a program that will ensure renters around Cache Valley get a fair deal.
“We are also going to start something up called Executive Face Time, where (the) Executive Council and academic senators go out and actively search for the student voice through different organizations,” Thrapp said. “Instead of just allowing them a place to share their voice, we are actually going to seek them out.”
During the ceremony, held in the TSC International Lounge, former ASUSU President Erik Mikkelsen spoke to the crowd about changes made this year, and he addressed the recently elected officers and senators.
“You better be better than we were,” he said.
Mikkelsen said the best leaders allow the community to feel involved when a decision is made.
“Remember to lead,” he said. “When the best work is done, the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.'”
Following the swearing in of the new officers and senators, Mikkelson addressed the crowd again.
“There is a certain precedent that has been set by student body presidents before me that I did not live up to this year,” he said. “The last six presidents got married while in office – I didn’t.”
Mikkelsen gave 2012-13 ASUSU President Christian Thrapp a box with ideas for dates that are cheaper than a dollar. The other former officers and senators each presented gifts and advice to their replacements, too.
After the gifts, Thrapp presented his remarks.
“The learning curve is insanely steep for all of us,” he said.
Thrapp then thanked the outgoing officers for all they had done.
“I have big shoes to fill, but it gives me something to strive for and hopefully achieve,” Thrapp said. “We’re going to continue ahead and continue upward. To infinity and beyond.”
After the ceremony, Thrapp said preparing for his new position has been quite an experience already.
“Erik Mikkelsen has definitely taken me under his wing and shown me the ropes in everything,” he said.
Thrapp said he chose to run for president because he loves USU.
“I figured this is a way I could give back and serve.”
Mikkelsen said he is proud of what ASUSU has accomplished this year.
“We looked at processes and methods of how we do things and would just change them,” he said. “For example, we changed almost every page of the ASUSU constitution. We rewrote the bylaws for the Student Fee Board, as well.”
He said he expects Thrapp will do a great job.
“The council he has to work with is amazing, and he has prepared well this whole year,” Mikkelsen said. “Christian has been working extremely hard over the last couple months since the election.”
Newly instated College of Education Sen. Mike Rees said the No. 1 project he plans to start next year is to create a new scholarship fund for education students.
“We know it can be done,” he said, citing the fact that the College of Humanities and Social Sciences has a similar program.
To supplement departmental scholarships, former CHaSS Sen. Erika Norton created a fund for students in the college and awarded a $500 scholarship, Rees said.
“The College of Education is so big that it’s almost impossible to get a departmental scholarship,” Rees said. “It’s one step in the right direction to alleviate some of the pressure on people looking for scholarships.”
Rees said he has already appointed a fundraising vice president to help raise money for the scholarship.
“I’m really excited to hit it hard and aggressively so we can hopefully – as soon as possible – get something into action,” he said.
Rees said he thought the inauguration went great.
“It was a lot like ASUSU itself – classy, but a little bit relaxed,” he said. “That’s what I like about our group and about all our officers this year. We do take ourselves seriously and take care of things that matter, but we also don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
Rees said he appreciates the work the outgoing council accomplished.
“Erik suggested he really wants us to do better, and I think we will,” he said. “They have done an awesome job and have paved the way for us to do a better job than them.”
“Christian is going to hit the ground running,” Mikkelsen said. “You can expect great things.”
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