By Lindsay LaChapelle | Campus News Co-Editor
Dedicated, ambitious, responsible and energetic—these are just some of the qualities of this year’s dynamic executive board for the Salve Student Government Association. The executive board, consisting of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Public Relations Coordinator, is responsible for spearheading the meetings and overseeing the committees within the Student Government.
President: Jivanto van Hemert ‘14
Originally from Santa Monica, California, Jivanto van Hemert is a double major in administration of justice and business administration. Now in his fourth year at Salve, his involvement in Student Government began his freshmen year. “I knew from the outset that something was happening here on Salve’s campus that I couldn’t get just anywhere, and wanted to become more of a part of it,” says van Hemert.
According to van Hemert, he fell in love with the Salve community early on. His dedication and belief in that community continued to grow as his participation increased. In addition to Student Government, van Hemert immersed himself in other areas of the Salve community including residential life, campus activities, and admissions.
“As President, I see my primary function as the arm of [Salve’s] community,” says van Hemert. He is excited to advocate for his fellow students and work with every level of the University to improve the connection between students and administration.
President van Hemert wants the Salve student body to know that Student Government is dedicated to the students, but that they can only effectively represent them if they voice their concerns. For this reason, he hopes that students will reach out to their senators to maximize the success of the university.
Vice President: Peter Georges ‘15
Peter Georges, a psychology major from Dunstable, Massachusetts, is in his third year at Salve. An active member of the Salve community, Georges is also the Public Relations Coordinator of SRU Dance and a Resident Advisor for freshmen.
According to Georges, he ran for Student Government at Salve to continue his passion for leadership. Georges’ favorite part of being a member of Student Government is “being in the know.” He appreciates remaining up-to-date on the latest campus news and projects. This year Georges looks forward to working with the new senators and taking part in the next big renovation or improvement for Salve.
“The first word in our title is student, and I want to make sure they know that we are here to help their concerns,” says Georges. Like President van Hemert, Georges thinks that Salve is a great community and hopes to make it even more prosperous by increasing student involvement with Student Government.
Secretary: Corilyn Henault ‘15
Corilyn Henault is a marketing major from Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Henault is a participant on SRU Dance, the Co-Chairperson for Salve Dance Marathon, a Student Mentor and a committee member on the First Generation Advisory Board.
Henault has served as a senator since her freshman year. She decided to run for Secretary to further her role as a student leader. “I think we have a great group of senators and an amazing E-board for this year and I know we will be making more positive changes to Salve,” says Henault.
Like President van Hemert and Vice President Georges, Henault loves the sense of community at Salve. “We can truly call it home, and I like to think that most of our student body feels the way,” she says.
“If I could tell everyone in the student body one thing about SGA is would be to use us,” says Henault. She wishes that more students would attend the Student Government meetings so that they could learn more about how Salve’s campus functions.
Treasurer: Sean P. Garrity ‘16
In his second year at Salve, Sean P. Garrity is an English communications major from Braintree Massachusetts. Along with Student Government, Garrity is a part of Salve’s Sigma Phi Sigma and the Public Relations Coordinator of the Political Science Club.
“I joined SGA to take student feedback to make this campus the best that it can be in my time here,” says Garrity. This year, he is excited about the potential of the new senate; he believes that they will work towards great accomplishments.
“I hear students complain about this or that, not knowing that they can take their issue to SGA and we can resolve it,” says Garrity. He wants the student body to know that Student Government members are the “middlemen” between students and administration.
Garrity would like to see Salve continue to grow and succeed, while also keeping the retention rate up. According to Garrity, Salve is a great school, in a great location. “Current students need only spread the word to people they know about how they enjoy it here,” says Garrity.
Public Relations Coordinator: Alexandra Ventura ‘15
Alexandra Ventura is a political science major from Warwick, Rhode Island. Like her fellow executive board members, she is heavily involved in the Salve community. She is also a Student Mentor, the Vice President of College Republicans, a member of the Political Science Club and Sigma Phi Sigma and a part of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
A senator since her freshman year, Ventura’s motivation for running for Student Government was to facilitate change on campus. This semester she thinks Salve’s Student Government consists of a vibrant group of students. “Everyone seems very enthusiastic which makes for a great SGA,” says Ventura.
Despite the strong group of senators, Ventura agrees with her fellow executive board members that they need more students to interact with Student Government. “We want more bodies and voices at our meetings,” says Ventura. She values student concerns and strives to see that they are addressed as quickly as possible.
