Samford’s SGA Inauguration was held in the Wright Center on April 20, celebrating the incoming and outgoing SGA officers.
After a brief welcome and prayer over the ceremony, Amy Simpson, director of Student Leadership and Involvement, recognized and presented awards to a number of student leaders from the various branches of student government.
Outgoing SGA President Tyler Kendall then gave his farewell remarks, expressing his gratitude for Samford and for his time spent here.
“Thank you for giving me the best four years possible, the best and most meaningful relationships I could ever ask for,” he said. “Thank you for providing me with opportunities to grow as not only a person, but as a man of faith, and thank you for allowing me to serve and represent you as your SGA president. For how much I feel I’ve received from this place, serving you was just a small token of my appreciation.”
Although University President Beck Taylor was unable to attend the ceremony, he did leave a brief video addressing the new SGA officers before taking office.
“As I often say to our student leaders of all kinds, you could have chosen an easier route through your college experience, and yet you chose to serve others, even as you attend classes, career preparation, and the many other demands on your time, so thank you, ”Taylor said.
Following Taylor’s charge to the officers, appointed student leaders were sworn into their respective offices one by one, culminating in the inauguration of freshman James Jefferson as SGA Vice President and sophomore Micaiah Collins as SGA President.
After taking the oath of office, Collins gave his inaugural address, in which he discussed unity among brothers and sisters in Christ.
Collins quoted 1 Corinthians 12:12, stating, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
Collins talked about how, while each person, or “part,” plays a different role, each is vital for the “body” as a whole to thrive.
“We have to keep in mind that whatever part we play, there are systems that connect us that make us one body,” Collins said. “Regardless of your background, where you come from, where you’ve been, things you’ve done, you are now a part of the Samford body.”
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