NEW PIRATE LEADERS

SGA officers excited for upcoming school year

East Carolina University’s new Student Government Association officers are excited for the upcoming school year.

The new officers are President Ryan Beeson, Vice President Janae Brown, Treasurer Dallas Owens, Secretary Alex Prunka, and Speaker of the Assembly Aaron Heft.

Beeson and Brown were the first officers to be elected to the SGA on a joint ballot. ECU changed the constitution via a student body vote in the fall to switch to joint ballots instead of individual ballots. They both agreed that winning the election is their favorite memory here at ECU.

“We first met at Leadershape last summer, a leadership retreat hosted by ECU. We both found that we had a lot in common and began talking about running together. We both brought very different backgrounds and experiences to the table. Our goal was to truly be a ticket that represented all students and to bring an open and teamwork-oriented vision to student government,” said Beeson.

President Ryan Beeson

Beeson, a native of Sophia, is a graduate student at ECU, where he also received his undergraduate degrees in political science and economics. Beeson has held multiple offices prior to this election, including speaker of the senate, attorney general, and senator.

“My top priorities as an SGA officer will be to represent all of the students at ECU, to be a good steward of student fees and trust, and to improve the services SGA provides to students,” said Beeson.

Brown, of Raleigh, will graduate at the end of the year with a degree in art with a concentration in graphic design. She is also involved in the American Marketing Association, the Black Student Union and the Word of Mouth club.

“Along with the election, my favorite memory at ECU was performing spoken poetry at Wright Auditorium. As an SGA officer, I want to emphasize the importance of inclusivity, student involvement and safety,” Brown said.

Owens, also from Raleigh, said that creating a financial database to track funding is his top priority as an SGA officer. Owens is currently a senior and is majoring in finance. He has previously served as an SGA senator.

“My two favorite memories at ECU are day the new constitution passed on campus and the day we beat UNC in football,” said Owens.

Vice President Janae Brown

Prunka, of Rockville, Maryland, said that building a positive and productive work environment within the student assembly to ensure clear communication and transparency is his top priority as an officer.

The SGA officers are excited about several programs on campus this year, such as Pledge Purple, the NC Civility Summit and Shipmates.

“Pledge Purple is a yearlong initiative focused on education and advocacy with the goal of ending sexual violence, harassment and bullying. There are a lot of on-campus organizations that will be involved,” said Beeson.

The NC Civility Summit is on Feb. 18 and will promote open and civil dialogue in a culturally diverse setting. ECU is known for its diversity, and the officers all emphasized the importance of understanding and inclusion between students.

Shipmates is an ongoing program that allows students to become more involved with ECU’s campus and resources under the guidance of student leaders. During the fall 2016 semester, members of the Shipmates program will meet on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. and have the opportunity to attend the SGA Assembly meetings at 6:30 p.m.

From left to right: President Ryan Beeson, Vice President Janae Brown, Secretary Alex Prunka and Treasurer Dallas Owens.