College of Nursing senator becomes new SGC-MMC vice president

Gerard Albert III/Assistant News Director

Hours before he found out he was chosen for vice president of Student Government Council at the Modesto Maidique Campus, senator Peter Hernandez was delivering a baby.

The Nursing and Health sciences senator, who also works at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and Jackson Memorial Hospital, was voted in unanimously by the senate on Monday Oct. 29, to be the new vice president of SGC-MMC.

“Hernandez just seemed to fit all of the all of the qualities I was looking for in a vice president,”said SGC-MMC President Sabrina Rosell.

Rosell chose Hernandez after a committee comprised of executive board members from different Student Affairs councils including Homecoming, Black Student Union and all four Greek councils selected him and Victoria Patel as candidates.

The vice president position was left vacant after former SGC-MMC president Jose Sirven resigned and Rosell moved up to president.

Hernandez’s prior experience and complementary personality make him the best choice according to Rosell.

“He has a very thorough understanding of the budgeting process because he has witnessed it more than I have,” she said, “He has a very diverse of what the agencies and councils needs are.”

Hernandez strong understanding of councils and budgets comes from experience. He has worked with IFC, the Homecoming committee, and Panther Camp while holding office as the Nursing and Health Sciences senator and head of the Rules and Legislation committee.

His goal for the year; improvement. Hernandez is a senior and wants to leave the position better than he found it. That starts with transparency according to him.

“SGA in the past has done things that haven’t exactly been student centered,” he said.

Hernandez plans to work with senators on projects while also keeping tight watch on how efficient they are.

“I’m definitely going to come in asking for justification for some initiatives to see if they are benefitting the many, not the few.” Hernandez said.

Hernandez is far from an iron fist but he does have a reputation as a straightforward speaker, something he says some people take the wrong way.

“What they see is what they get” he said, ”I expect honesty, others might take it as me being confrontational, I take it as me just being honest. I expect the same respect I give but I’m also an open book.”

Hernandez says that SGA needs to impact a larger scope of students “not just the Greek life population and students already involved on campus.” Graduate students get the short end of the stick most of the time, according to Hernandez, “We serve them out of convenience and that needs to change,” He said.

The president and vice president’s election involvement is something Hernandez wants to limit for himself and future SGA officials.

“There’s no need to endorse, there’s no need for me to go out and campaign for anyone,” said Hernandez, “whoever gets it, whether it’s a person I like, whether it’s a person I know, whether I think the person deserves it, shouldn’t matter.”