A new year, a new Student Government Association executive board – all new faces will sit on the SGA’s e-board after the election declared trio-ticket Senators Roshanay Tahir, Andrew Pilkons and Nicole Elsinger as the winners.

Tahir beat current SGA Vice President Dante Solano for the position of president, securing the seat with 190 votes to Solano’s 112. Elsinger won over Sen. Demitric Baez for treasurer with 252 votes to Baez’s 48. Pilkons ran unopposed and raked in 282 votes.

The voter turnout was significantly lower than last year’s; the SGA recording 305 total voters this year; in 2018, 946 people cast their ballot online. In the SGA’s meeting minutes from March 6, Student Activities and Leadership Development Director Scott Hazan said that voter turnout was at “historic lows.”

“I think what it came down to was how candidates campaigned and how many people were running overall,” current SGA President Kassandra Fruin commented on the turnout, adding that the SGA itself did nothing different in terms of marketing the election to students. “In years past, there have been more candidates and the campaigning process [was] more intense. I didn’t really sense that intensity this year.”

The new e-board will be sworn in at the end of this semester. In the meantime, The Recorder asked the elects for a few words on their futures with the SGA.

President-Elect Roshanay Tahir

1. How does it feel to win?

“It feels like such a blessing to be able to represent the entire student body. When I first found out the results, I was with President Fruin and she came running to tell me the news. As soon as she did, I started tearing up a bit. I couldn’t believe it. What made it even more meaningful was the fact that I won on International Women’s Day. It made the moment so surreal.”

2. What are your goals?

“Once I take office, one thing I definitely want to focus on is communication within the e-board, the Senate and the Central community. Communication is definitely the leading factor of unity and it starts up top. Having an open-minded e-board, like [Elsinger], [Pilkons] and I, allows us to listen and communicate effectively amongst one another and it represents unity. Having a united e-board is key for running a united Senate so we are all able to facilitate and execute things in an efficient manner.”

3. What do you want to do the most?

“Overall, I’m looking forward to serving as the next president of the Student Government Association and am glad I am able to do it with my running mates, [Elsinger] and [Pilkons]. I am also excited to begin working with the current e-board to better prepare myself for the upcoming academic year.”

Vice President-Elect Andrew Pilkons

1. How does it feel to win?

“I felt relieved and excited after the election. It was great to find out that my two running mates won their respective races. I was excited to finally be able to make more concrete plans for the future of the Senate.”

2. What are your goals?

“My main goal will be improving the climate of the Senate. I want to make sure everyone enjoys and is comfortable with their job as a Senator. As chair of the Internal Affairs Committee, I look forward to holding regular IA meetings to discuss how the Senate can work more effectively and how retention can be improved. Besides that, improving the club liaison program is another big goal of mine, I want to make sure clubs are giving [the] SGA feedback on what can be changed so the liaisons can better help the clubs that they are assigned to.”

3. What do you want to do the most?

“The thing I want to do the most is implementing senator one-on-ones between senators and the e-board. Becoming a senator can be a bit of an overwhelming experience, so I think it would be great to have e-board members establish a positive relationship with newer senators. Doing this would get newer senators more comfortable with being part of [the] SGA and pair them with someone they feel comfortable going to if they need help with anything SGA-related.”

Treasurer-Elect Nicole Elsinger

1. How does it feel to win?

“The election victory to me was extremely gratifying. I invested a large amount of time into bettering myself as a candidate for treasurer through taking on numerous leadership roles and responsibilities around campus and I’m elated that my efforts were reflected to the student body. As soon as I won, numerous students and faculty congratulated me on the victory and stated they were looking forward to working with me next year. Overall, I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to be serving as the SGA treasurer for the 2019-2020 school year.”

2. What are your goals?

“As soon as I take office, I will work to increase the resources made available to students pertaining to our financial system and budgeting process. As a more long-term project, I will work to reform the Student Wellness Services on campus in any way possible. To start this project, I will conduct a survey pinpointing specific issues with Student Wellness and also conduct research regarding solutions to boost the mental health resources available at CCSU.”

3. What do you want to do the most?

“As an executive board member, I want to make sure the students feel represented and included in the Student Government. I believe an issue we have had this year was coming across as an exclusive body, when in fact, we should include those voices that we are representing on the Student Government in our discussions and decisions. It is important that all students on the CCSU campus feel as though the Student Government is representing their best interests with every decision being made.”