President Roda Mohamed and SVP Roselyn Hill Enter SGA Office

Marist College’s new Student Body President Roda Mohamed and Vice President Roselyn Hill have big plans for their term. The pair are currently accepting applications for cabinet positions to join their team in the Student Government Association (SGA).

“[We will be] talking to and understanding the student body so we can understand what students need and how to help them, and communicating that back to the [Marist] administration,” Mohamed said. “There are going to be some difficult conversations, but we will have them.”

After the March 2020 SGA elections, Mohamed and Hill became the new leaders of SGA at Marist. Mohamed is now the first Muslim woman to become President of SGA, and she and Hill are the first team to hold their positions together as women of color — an achievement they are very proud of, Mohamed said.

The representation initiative is a goal that Mohamed plans on launching — as her administration hopes to provide more resources for “people of color, international students, and anyone who identifies as part of a minority group.” She cited the recent issue of domestic and international students being instructed to vacate campus due to the COVID-19 outbreak within a 48-hour period.

At the time of the elections, Mohamed and Hill were the only option listed on the ballot. “There were three teams running at first, but some of them struggled to find running mates.” She also included that this was partially due to a lack of student involvement in SGA — an issue she and Hill hope to tackle in the upcoming year.

“We want to promote everything on campus… and make the overall sense of community better at Marist,” she said. “Increasing school spirit is a priority for us.” One way she hopes to accomplish this is by promoting late-night events on campus, especially to cater to younger students and those that aren’t interested in the bar scene around Marist.

Campus closures amid the COVID-19 outbreak have affected their transition to office, Mohamed said. 

“It’s definitely been a hard transition,” she said, noting their efforts to create a strong online presence during this time instead.

Online applications for cabinet positions are currently available until they close April 8. “Any student can be a leader,” Mohamed said. 

She especially wants to encourage younger students to get involved in SGA and carry that commitment through their years at Marist. Mohamed also notes that students can still get involved after the deadline by becoming board members, deputies, or general members.

Mohamed notes that as Student Body President, she looks forward to creating “tremendous change.”