Despite some tears and fumbled words, power exchanged hands smoothly Wednesday during Ball State University Student Government Association's Inauguration Ceremony. Team Lisec executives swore in senators and passed their titles over to the 2007-08 executives of U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative: President Betsy Mills, Vice President Jaime Manuel, Secretary Jessica Tindal and Treasurer Zac Davis.
But ending the term was hard for former president Asher Lisec. With tears in her eyes, she said she was grateful for the chance to represent the student body.
"I'm just emotional," she said. "I didn't think I was going to [cry] until I came in and started cleaning my office out. I started crying and I haven't stopped since then."
Muncie Mayor Dan Canan presented Lisec with an award recognizing her leadership and dedication to Ball State and the Muncie community.
All the Team Lisec executives passed along advice for the members of U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative. Former secretary Michele Faroh told the new executives and 2007-08 senators to always listen to what students are saying, even if it is something that has been asked about 1,000 times or cannot be accomplished. Simply listening to students' concerns is important, she said. Former vice president Rodney Blount warned the executives to be organized.
"One skill I have enhanced is time management," he said. "People always say 'I don't have the time,' but when you look at the amount of things our slate has produced, there's no excuse. You just have to become friends with your planner."
After the speeches, U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative was sworn into office. Mills was all smiles as she repeated her oath, despite some trouble saying it. She said that was because she was so excited to see all the people who supported U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative sitting in the audience.
In a long speech with many thank-yous, Mills said all the executives were excited to begin their terms and start working on platform issues to help students.
"As U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative, we came in as very passionate people who really want to change Student Government into a student-oriented association even more so," Mills said. "We would certainly not be here without the multitudes of people who supported us."
Parents of both executive teams came to the ceremony to congratulate their sons and daughters.
Ken Mills, Betsy Mill's father, said he always knew she could be in this kind of position because she had always been smart. She began planning for this when she was two years old, he said.
"She is where she is because she's driven," Ken Mills said. "She's probably one of the most driven people I know. Just being around her for five minutes, you know."
Despite winning the SGA elections and preparing for office, Davis said it still hadn't really hit him that he was becoming an executive6 but that he was ready for it.
"I think it's going to hit," Davis said. "We know we won, but today is the day we are going to realize we won."
With only a month and a half left in the semester, Betsy Mills said the three main platform items she wanted to accomplish before summer were the name brand-eatery in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, Dead Week and a left-turn arrow for the Scramble Light.
Despite enjoying the leadership of Team Lisec, Parliamentarian Matt Lacy said he wanted to start working on U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative issues. Lacy was sworn in as a senator for University Senate and as an At-Large senator for Student Senate.
"Now that inauguration is over we can jump head-first into the issues on their platform and get the ball rolling," Lacy said.
Awards given out executive of the year - Ashley Johnson
committee chair of the year - Shawn Meier
caucus chair of the year - Kelly Doucet
Rookie senator of the year - Jimmy Faroh
James Marine senator of the year - Kyle Ellis
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