Colton Ronaldo and Caleb Jernigan, provided by Falcon Photo Library By Scout Gunn
The Student Government Association welcomed their new members in late March. Among them were the returning President Colton Rodano and the new Vice President Caleb Jernigan.
Jernigan reflected on how he got started with SGA. “When I got to this campus, I saw this flyer with the words ‘Now Accepting Freshman Senators.’” Jernigan continued, “it was great making a difference on this campus as a senator. And next year I got appointed to the social service position and eventually got elected and now I’m here.”
Regarding the functions of SGA, Jernigan said, “Senate serves as the body which makes the legislation for the students.”
One example Jernigan worked on during his first year in SGA was a piece of legislation to place trash cans near the hammocks.
Jernigan said, “There were no trash cans by the hammocks at all. People were just throwing garbage on the ground, so I wrote legislation about that and it got passed and eventually they got put out there.”
Both Jernigan and Rodano said their positions within SGA have allowed them to obtain a deeper connection with faculty on campus.
Rodano got his start in student government during high school, leading him to SGA here at Montevallo. By sophomore year, he was the senator for the Arts and Sciences Department, and President Pro-Tempore his junior year.
Rodano said, “I had all that experience under my belt… friendships and connections,” which ultimately led him to run for SGA President.
Regarding his first year as SGA president, Rodano said, “I’d like to believe that our executive cabinet was extremely effective at getting work done.”
Jernigan said, “We definitely have gotten a body of senators who care a lot more about legislation, and care a whole lot more about what they can do on campus.”
Both Rodano and Jernigan said they’re excited to see how much involvement there is around this campus. Rodano said, “COVID really hurt how well SGA was doing and how involved people on campus were.”
Jernigan said, “It seems like people are coming back to that pre-COVID era again, like I see chalk everywhere, I see signs being put up, I see posters, I look on FalconLink and there are at least four or five events happening a week. That’s something this campus needs. Otherwise, student life here would just shrivel up. It takes everyone.”
Rodano and Jernigan said they still have more to accomplish. Rodano says his goal is to get SGA’s General Assembly and Supreme Court active again, in order to provide the student body with more opportunities to get involved.
Rodano said, “While [the student government] is an avenue for bettering the lives of students, it’s also an opportunity for students to build their resume and to perform here, and to carry that into their careers.”
Jernigan said, “I hope our senators are able to adequately represent their colleges, their class, their clubs and that legislation gets passed in a very effective manner befitting the students’ request for things to be done on campus.”
