On April 14, those elected to carry out the executive positions in Wofford’s Campus Union for the 2023-2024 academic year were announced to the student body. Similar to past elections on campus, this most recent one has brought its own host of contentious conversation among student voters, the greatest of which being the uncontested election for Campus Union President.
“I realize that a big part of this election in the past has been the division because of the competition in the presidential race,” said Student Body President-Elect Graydon Davies ‘24. “I hope students see that I am still qualified and excited for this job … and that, at the end of the day, my campaign and my platform would have been the same.”
Much of Davies’ platform was centered upon the possibility of chartering a new Wofford tradition for students: a ring ceremony, something which Davies said will require student input and ample communication with faculty.
Davies also spoke on the importance of being able to “cultivate and maintain” a relationship between those in his position and the administration, mentioning past inconsistencies in this relationship to be a cause for a lack of progress by student government.
The other executives also highlighted the importance of well-working relationships in regards to student government, whether that be with the student body, administration, the board or other members of the council.
Campus Union Secretary-Elect Simrin Channa ‘25 will be serving her second term in this executive position in the upcoming academic year, bringing much earned experience that has proven to adequately address the topic of communication. Last year, Channa worked to set up an email system to achieve transparency in regards to the bills that were passed.
“I feel like this (email system) lessened the division between the assembly and the student body,” Channa said. “A lot more business was passed this year that was desirable to the student body.”
A general focus of all the executive-elects is the support of student-led organizations. Campus Union Treasurer-Elect Olivia Culver ‘24 complimented the existing openness between the assembly and organizations during the allocation process, yet said that many of these organizations were still lacking necessary funding due to misunderstandings about the process.
In addition to Culver’s suggested support for student organizations during the allocation process, Campus Union Vice President-Elect Emma Skelton ‘24 was adamant in her support of these organizations, believing the assembly’s social involvement with campus organizations to be a crucial factor in their success.
“I think it’s very important that the student body council attend most events that are hosted on campus and have a firsthand experience as to what students are passionate about, what they’re mad about and what they love,” Skelton said.
Despite the push for assembly involvement, a possible area for controversy could lie in the fact that all four members of the executive council are also members of Greek organizations, with three of the four belonging to Zeta Tau Alpha specifically.
“I think that it helps that a lot of us on Exec, while we are all four involved in Greek life, are involved in a lot of other things on campus,” Channa said , adding that her personal involvement in other student organizations helps her to relate and better understand the desires of the student body.
Davies spoke more on the cohesive relationships between the assembly and administration, saying that the best route for a productive year lies in consistency and “making sure (goals) are aligned.”
Though much of the conversation surrounding the new council has clung to their Greek identities and the nature of the election, the new Executive Council holds promise for a year of strong communication, progress and active engagement with the participation of the class and At-Large delegates.
Delegates At-Large: Harriet Barr ‘24, Madi Fike ‘24, Jack Grabarczyk ‘26, Gracie Blom ‘26, James Few ‘25 and Sunni Owens ‘26.
Senior Class Delegates: Candler Fontaine ‘24, Austin Givens ‘24, Lily Cochrane ‘24, MacKenzie Clinch ‘24 and Addie Patterson ‘24.
Junior Class Delegates: Gracyn Coker ‘25, Marga Van Der Linde ‘25, Mary Karr Griffith ‘25, Lawson Taliaferro ‘25 and Emily Drummond ‘25.
Sophomore Class Delegates: Geneva Kowbeidu ‘26, Caroline Parker ‘26, Eloise Hupfer ‘26, Zion Sampson ‘26, Wilton Grice ‘26 and Camille Terracina ‘26.
Judicial Commission:
At-Large: Carson Harrell ‘24, James Moon ‘25 and Caroline Gargono ‘26.
Senior: Will Kennedy ‘24
Junior: Katie Kirk ‘25
