The torch has been lit. Thursday evening Florida A&M University’s Student Government Association held an annual inauguration for new officers and members in Lee Hall Auditorium. The inauguration was a part of a special week long celebration for SGA, which also included a movie night on Tuesday and a prayer vigil on Wednesday.
At the ceremony all students in SGA were sworn into office, including the Torch administration that was elected last spring.
The SGA officers inaugurated included Monique Gillum, student body president; James Bland, student body vice president; Magalie Yacinthe, Chief Justice; Ashey Duprat, the 37th student senate pro-tempore and Mellori Lumpkin, 37th student senate president.
Over 70 members of SGA were also sworn in.
During the inauguration, Gillum and Bland were welcomed by Mr. and Miss FAMU, Jeremy Monticure and Sheerie Edwards.
University President, James Ammon’s honored the student president and vice president with compliments and swore them into their new positions.
” I am happy to be here at this esteemed ceremony and work with this great student body,” Ammons said.
The Torch Administration was also recognized by friends and organizations and commemorated through slide shows.
Officers that were sworn in promised to abide by the constitutions and statues of SGA, the policies of FAMU and to appropriately execute the responsibilities of their respected offices.
The event featured several musical selections, including young ladies from the Tallahassee Girls Choir.
“(Inauguration) is a basic tradition for many universities to welcome new administration into office,” Gillum said. ” It is an opportunity for the new officers to give a state of the student address, give thank you’ s and explain plans for the year.”
Members of the SGA inauguration committee said that planning for the 2007-2008 SGA inaugurations started this June.
The SGA Senate allocated a $16,600 stipend for the inauguration activities. Some of the most costly expenses on the budget for these events included $810 to rent Lee Hall. The total cost for the inauguration ball was $11,979.
“For the overall inauguration, we spent less than the amount allocated by the stipend,” said Morris Hopkins, SGA chief financial officer.
Hopkins is among the SGA members who served on the inauguration committee, which planned events and supervised funds allocated by the student senate.
Immediately after the inauguration, SGA hosted an inauguration ball, which was open to all FAMU students.
“(The ball) was fun,” said Ashleigh Irving, a 20-year-old English education student.
“I went to support my friend Ashley Duprat, and congratulate her for all her hard work.”