The Marathon Continues sworn in as 103rd SGA administration
By Jonah Lewis, Deputy News Editor
The Marathon Continues was inaugurated as the 103rd administration of the Towson University Student Government Association Tuesday night, following a clean sweep of the election in April.
Among those inaugurated were incumbent President Jordan Conquitt, Vice President Shawn Bell, Treasurer David Onwonga and Attorney General Jenna Jalloh.
Colquitt, a junior, gave his inaugural address after being sworn in, emphasizing the long and arduous journey in front of the new administration.
“The journey to progress is a marathon, not a sprint, and these words echo in the corridors of our minds, guiding our steps as we move forward in pursuit of a better TU,” Colquitt said. “They remind us that true change, real transformation, is not found in momentary bursts of enthusiasm, but in the relentless pursuit of our goals.”
The Marathon Continues ran with the campaign slogan “transcend, magnify and continue,” with an emphasis on the accomplishments of the 102nd administration under Colquitt’s leadership.
They had at least 25 endorsements from student groups during the campaigning period, as updated on their Instagram account throughout election season.
Along with the executive board, Sens. Semekate Getachew and Andy Liu, in addition to Justice Fiyinfoluwa Sanya, were inaugurated. Nnanna Robert Uma, an elected senator, was not in attendance.
The Towerlight spoke with each of the members of the executive board to see how they planned on beginning their work in the next semester.
“I plan on starting by introducing our new executive board to all areas of campus life, different vice presidents and departments across the university, to be able to accomplish all the goals that we set forth, making sure that everyone knows the proper administrators to get our platform accomplished,” Colquitt said.
Bell, who interned under the majority whip of the Maryland House of Delegates, said he wants to incorporate more elements of congressional lawmaking into the SGA. He formerly served as a senator in the 102nd administration, Pushin’ Progress.
“We have a lot of seats to fill, whether that be directors, assistant directors, senators or justices, just making sure that we have a wide array of individuals that’s gonna come to SGA next semester,” he said.
Jalloh, a freshman new to the SGA, said she’s ready to make some changes.
“As stated in our platform, one of our biggest concerns was parking, so we’re trying to get a meeting set up with Parking just to address student concerns and see how we can get better parking situations for students,” Jalloh said.
Formerly the director of marketing, Onwonga said that as treasurer, he wants to create new line items, dedicating parts of the budget to areas like Greek Life.
“I plan to make sure that we’re being fair with our expenses and how we use our money, cause I know that a lot of the line items and how we use our money on some things haven’t been touched,” he said.
Vice President of Student Affairs Matt Lenno expressed his appreciation for being an advisor to the SGA in his speech before members were sworn in.
“Working with the 102nd administration and co-advising with Carolyn [Harris] has really brought me back to being a happy administrator,” Lenno said. “It’s a special place that’s reinvigorated me as a professional and an advisor.”
Harris, director of Student Activities and co-advisor to the SGA, echoed Lenno in her appreciation for her time as co-advisor.
“I love the work of observing student leaders as they are developing, watching their gears turn when they figure out a problem and how a solution might show up on our campus,” she said. “I was privileged to watch so much of that development happen throughout this academic year.”
About 80 SGA members and their families were in attendance, along with various faculty members associated with the SGA.