Editor’s note: Damion Davis’ name was corrected on March 16.
FAU’s Student Government Association (SGA) held their routine House meeting on March 14, their first meeting since spring break. The members of the House passed four bills unanimously and appointed five members to new positions.
Damion Davis, a junior at FAU majoring in multimedia studies, was appointed chief of staff in a 12-4 vote.
“I want to end off by just reminding you all that student government is a learning process and sometimes people fall short and make mistakes,” Davis said in his five-minute address to the House. “But we are all here to grow, and I do believe that I am a great fit for this role and would love the opportunity to serve you all as chief of staff.”
Other appointments included Matt Powalisz and Jean Pierre, a neuroscience and behavior major, both joining the Student Union Advisory Board. Jayden Weiner, a sophomore health administration major, was appointed to the House alongside Yvanna Lovera, a junior political science major.
“I am passionate about providing a positive and inclusive environment for our students at FAU and being a part of Student Government allows me to do just that,” said Lovera addressing the House.
The first bill passed during the meeting eliminates the First Year Council, which previously represented the interests of first-year students. Rules and Policies Chair Jack Nixon explained the reasoning behind the move.
“I tried to find areas where we could clean up. This was one of them. It’s something we don’t use anymore. We haven’t in a while,” Nixon said. “So, at a certain point, people should just join the House, because they get more done and they learn more than a first-year council.”
The second bill passed was a bill eliminating the House marketing officer (HMO) position.
Nixon noted that the HMO role was eliminated for efficiency due to underuse. Its duties shifted to the campus action chair, with vice chair responsibilities reassigned to the secretary.
Speaker Pro Tempore and political science junior Alex Mojica spoke out in favor of this bill.
“I believe Rules and Policies Chair Nixon makes a good point when [he says] the HMO position has been underutilized,” Mojica said. “It even gives us assurance that the vice chair position will go to the secretary, so not only will all the vice chairs have a title, but every single house position will be a paid position.”
Julius Demosthenes is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, contact Demosthenes at jdemosthenes792@gmail.com or DM jay_dem0 on Instagram.
