Jose Gonzalez
First-year engineering student Chris Chambers will be the next president of the Student Government Association.
A first-year engineering student will be the Student Government Association president next year.
Chris Chambers, the vice president of campus activities for the SGA, won against first-year nursing student Dammy Oyewumi in an online election, which ended on May 4.
“I was so nervous. But when I got the words that I won, all the nerves kind of fell,” Chambers said. “I felt relieved. And after feeling that relief, I felt determination. I felt drive. I felt like it’s time to get to work and get forward for next semester.”
Oyewumi will serve as executive vice president. Jolie So, a first-year biology student, won the vice president of public relations role uncontestedly.
Chambers will replace second-year kinesiology student Meredith Dales, who won against Chambers in a special election in February. Chambers said his inspiration to run was the loss in the February presidential election.
“In February, after I lost, I thought that was kind of it,” Chambers said. “But [the SGA] offered me VP of campus activities where I got to really see how the SGA operated. I think it was for the best that I lost that first election because I got to get experience under my belt.”
Chambers added: “Originally I wanted to be SGA President, just so I could get involved and help, but now I see actual changes, what actually needs to get done, and that’s because of my time as VP of campus activities.”
Chambers said his main goal is to fill out the remaining SGA and Senate positions.
“Right now our executive board is actually getting filled out,” Chambers said. “It seems like we might be able to fill out the executive board before the summer is even over.”
Chambers added applicants must be approved by the SGA before filling in the role.
Chambers said his second goal is to start a petition to bring classroom minimums back down to 12 during his term.
“I’m going to be going around starting a petition and talking to students and getting physical documentation of how students feel about these new class minimums and presenting that to the board of trustees as soon as I can,” Chambers said. “It wasn’t something that was pertinent in my campaign. It’s an issue that has been brought up and that I will be focusing on in the fall.”
Starting next semester, AACC will raise their minimum class size from 12 students to 15 (See related story).
Newly-elected SGA members will begin their term at the beginning of the next semester.