Student President Comments on State of Campus

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AIKEN, SC (04/30/2018) As the semester winds down and his term ends, University of South Carolina Aiken Student Government President Jacob Yarbrough gave his final address to the student body, sharing his thoughts on the state of the campus.

"This year, the Student Government Association enjoyed many successes," he said.

"None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the help of our great senators who have worked tirelessly to ensure that myself and the rest of the executive committee look good."

He enumerated some of the achievements, including: donating 35 treat baskets to the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons at Halloween and enhancing Pacer Pursuit by creating "Pacer Pursuit Days."

Additionally, SGA erected a "Children Crossing" sign in front of the USC Aiken Children's Center.

"After hearing the voices of our constituents saying they were worried for the safety of the children who are cared for at the Children's Center, we contacted Brian Enter to have this sign put out," Yarbrough said.

"Because of Brian and our great maintenance staff, parents who drop their children off day in and day out can now rest assured that our students are aware of the dangers of driving too fast through that area."

Another initiative implemented by SGA this year is hosting ICE events at athletic events.

"Students on our campus have always desired athletic games to become ICE events. With this in mind, we decided that we would hold an ICE event before the athletic event itself, which would increase attendance at both the event and at the game as well."

The first athletic ICE event involved a discussion about political protests in sports, facilitated by Dr. Ben Triana.

But the accomplishment he beams most about is the executive committee's role in educating local and state legislators for the necessary 3.5 million dollars to install a new HVAC system in the Penland Administration Building.

"In the evening of the same day we visited the State House, the budget request received initial approval [by the House]," Yarbrough said.

"Not saying that we were the driving force behind this approval, but I do feel like the voices of myself and rest of the students who went did help to put faces with the needs of our university."

While the campus community has benefitted from the commitment of its SGA leadership, Yarbrough has appreciated what holding the position of president meant to him.

"Being president of the Student Government Association has given me the opportunity to mature and grow not only as an individual but also as a leader. Moreover, for all of the senators, I would like to thank you for the hard work and dedication you guys have shown this year."