On March 14, voting officially closed for Viterbo’s Student Government Association elections. Held every spring, the elections are used to determine most of the positions for the upcoming academic year. The available positions were president, two sophomore representatives, two junior representatives, two senior representatives, commuter representative, international student representative, and non-traditional student representative.
Logan Jancsurak, a sophomore acting major, was elected as the next president of SGA. Jancsurak’s term will begin his third year in SGA after serving as a first-year student representative during his freshman year, and then as an executive member, becoming the group’s secretary during his sophomore year. Jancsurak said that he wants to advocate for all students, particularly students from diverse backgrounds. He also intends to use his time for more beautification projects on campus, including a library renovation that he is currently already working on with SGA.
Katie Leadholm, a junior nursing major, was elected as a senior representative. Leadholm will soon be completing her first year with SGA, currently serving as a junior representative. She hopes to promote equality and make the campus feel more comfortable for all students.
Michelle Chavez Escalera, a sophomore nursing major with a theatre minor, and Laura Munson, a sophomore nursing major, were both elected as junior representatives. Both are newcomers to the Student Government Association. Munson’s main goal is to “improve minority visibility,” giving another voice to the diverse students of Viterbo University.
Sophia Barbato, a first-year music theatre major with a dance minor, and Benjamin Fleuchaus, a biochemistry major, were both elected as sophomore class representatives. Barbato, returning for a second year in SGA, says that her goal is to address all the complaints student have given about Viterbo’s food services, as well as strengthening our sense of community in the area. Fleuchaus hopes to use his first year in SGA to make Viterbo more ecologically friendly and to advocate for American Sign Language to be an official class.
Payton Harper, a sophomore music theatre major and arts administration minor, Elizabeth Saltzman, a psychology major, and Kiley Silva, a music theatre major with a history minor, were elected for a second year as at-large representatives. Harper hopes to connect more students and give SGA a wider reach across campus. Saltzman intends to improve the campus dining experience, advocate for inclusive housing policies, and work towards stronger punishments for incidents of hate and bias. Silva hopes to be involved in discussions about on-campus living, fine arts, and students from out-of-state.
Laura Munson was also elected as a non-traditional representative. Munson hopes to use the SGA platform to give more voice to BIPOC and LGBTQIAA+ students. Harry Hauserman, a sports management and leadership major, was elected as an international student representative. Both Hauserman and Munson will be joining SGA for the first time this spring.
The newly elected members of SGA will officially be sworn in on Sunday, April 11, beginning a new chapter for Viterbo University.
