Image by Marcia Aksu, video by Camila Fernandez/FIUSM Staff
Written by Camila Fernandez/BBC Managing Editor
Students at the Biscayne Bay Campus have elected Allhan Mejia and Kenly Jean-Louis as president and vice president for the 2015-2016 BBC Student Government Council.
Mejia, a junior business major, has been involved in the BBC-SGC as Lower Division Senator, Business Senator and Speaker Pro Tempore since fall 2013. He said that being President gives him the opportunity to make a difference.
“In changing the scope of things and making it better for the students who come here,” said Mejia, “and actually having students not go through that experience of not being involved and just coming to campus.”
Mejia said two years ago he had no idea how to be a part of student life until a friend encouraged him to join the council. Now, he wants to help students be more engaged in campus life.
He also wants to make the council more transparent and accessible to students through a “Street Team.” This group of BBC-SGC students would help promote student government involvement, projects and initiatives.
Jean-Louis agrees with Mejia and says in his platform that he wants to provide more internship opportunities for students. Jean-Louis also plans to work with the Golden Panther Express Shuttle to coordinate a schedule that better fits students’ needs.
This year has seen one of the most competitive elections at the BBC. According to Student Media archives, there has been a history of uncontested candidates, especially for President and Vice President.
Last year, current BBC-SGC President and Vice President, Jazmin Felix and Camille Williams, ran unopposed. This year, Mejia and Jean-Louis ran against Christopher Morisset and Elina Sibony, winning by 55 percent.
There was also a larger voter turnout with 420 students compared to last year’s 221, according to the council.
More students were also seen running for Arts & Sciences Senator, Graduate Senator, Lower Division Senator and Senator At-Large. Felix said this may be due to her change in the BBC-SGC internal environment as President.
“An issue in the past at SGA has been retention, but this year we saw the highest retention of SGA members in reference to any other year,” Felix said.
Allhan Mejia (center right) and Kenly Jean-Louis (center left) acknowledge their acceptance as BBC-SGC president and vice president. / FIUSM Staff
Felix said that in the past, many members felt like they didn’t have a voice. Instead, she always made sure that everyone’s opinions were considered and that they put students first.
“When people have a part in success, then they’re more likely to stay,” Felix said. “When I first came in, my platform was making BBC more student-centered and making it more unified and with that goal in mind, I made sure that every single person that came in had the same exact goal as me.”
Amani Nephew, a senior English major, said she looks forward to students participating more on campus.
“I think that’s always going to be a good thing,” said Nephew. “It brings positivity [and] it shows that it’s okay to get involved and to speak your voice…We need to get involved,” she said.
Erica Amaya, a junior English major, said the idea of having a Street Team is good for the campus and the student body.
“[Mejia] involving the students more is definitely a great thing, especially if he makes his ideas known and all the things that he wants to do to better,” Amaya said.
Despite the BBC’s smaller student population size, Amaya said she enjoys being at the North Campus a lot more than at the South Campus.
“I really do like the BBC campus a lot more than the MMC campus. It’s a tighter-knit community. At MMC, you run into far more strangers than you do with friends,” Amaya said.
camila.fernandez@fiusm.com
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