April 16th, 2025
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WMUL-FM) — The newly elected Student Body President and Vice President said one issue they are focusing on is the disconnect between the student population and the student government.
“Over the past year, we’ve kind of found out between the student body and the Student Government Association, there’s kind of a disconnect,” said Student Body President Conner Waller. “We want the student body to feel that they are being heard.”
Waller said he wants to find ways that are appropriate and effective when presenting student issues to Marshall University’s administration. He also said Student Body Vice President Alissa Davis has been working on the student discount program.
“The Student Discount Program would be very local, within walking distance of the campus,” Davis said. “The goal of that is to make sure that students are engaging with the community.”
Davis said she wants this program to be an inexpensive way for students to venture off campus and have some fun at a discounted rate. She added that Glen’s in Pullman Square is already part of the plan, offering a 15% discount to Marshall Students.
Back Row: Julia McAndrews, Emma Johnson, Alyson Messinger
Front Row: Erik Cochrane, Anna Holstein, Alissa Davis, Conner Waller
Waller and Davis are also using their platform to focus on student wellness. Waller said he realizes how important student wellness is and wants to improve resources already offered on campus.
“Some of the things that we have on the docket for student wellness involve trainings, these include CPR trainings, AED trainings, QPR trainings, which go towards mental health, as well as naloxone trainings,” Waller said.
Waller said his cabinet would like to improve AED accessibility on campus. He said over the past month, they have come to learn there are not enough AEDs in the residence halls.
To better involve students in SGA, Davis said she has gotten involved with various organizations on campus and wants every student to feel comfortable in an organization.
“I know that membership is low in certain areas of campus, and part of our pillar of the student experience is to make sure that students feel comfortable joining organizations,” she said.
Secretary of Wellness Anna Holstein said her involvement in various academic clubs has helped her gain new perspectives on student concerns.
“I get a lot of different perspectives from different types of students, so I get to communicate that back with SGA,” Holstein said.
Chief of Staff Erik Cochrane said he wants to be a voice for the student body, so all voices and concerns are heard. “Being present is the first step, so it’s my goal to be boots on the ground and going out and hearing these concerns,” Cochrane said.
In his closing thoughts, Waller said he wants every student to feel comfortable coming to anyone in SGA to voice their concerns, ask for help or to just talk to them.
“We’re working on student experience, student wellness and student success, so you can see that it is a student-driven idea that we’re working toward, but overall, we’re working toward the Marshall community,” he said.