The 2018 Student Government Association President and Cabinet were inaugurated on the first day of class this semester. Former President Tommy Daly gave a goodbye speech, after which incumbent President Lucas Gallo took The Oath of Office of the President and gave his first public speech at the ceremony held in Babbio Atrium. Honor Board Chairperson Olivia Schreiber performed the honor of swearing in Gallo. Gallo and four of the five Cabinet members were present to affirm The Oath of the 2018 Cabinet by signing their names. The fifth cabinet member signed later that night.
“The opportunity to be your President has been the greatest honor of my life. This experience has certainly had its challenges, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” stated Daly. He then expressed his excitement for Gallo and his Cabinet to embark on their new journey and shed light on perseverance through hardship.
Daly said, “The best leaders don’t cower in the face of uncertainty, they embrace the challenge and march boldly into the unknown.” He also quoted Winston Churchill, saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Daly also highlighted the importance of making decisions as leaders of the student body, stating, “Actions and decisions, particularly those whose outcome affect not only you, but the lives of others, should always be made with caution, prudence, and with the knowledge that what you are doing is for the benefit of the greater good.” He then reminded the Cabinet of their obligation to always hold the best interest of the SGA – and, therefore, the student body – as the highest priority.
Gallo took his Presidential Oath of Office, which is a modified version of the 35-word oath taken by presidents of the United States. Gallo placed his left hand on the SGA Constitution and raised his right-hand, swearing, “I, Lucas Romeo Gallo, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the Student Government Association, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Student Government Association.”
The Oath of the 2018 Cabinet was read: “We, the Cabinet of the Student Government Association at Stevens Institute of Technology for the year 2018, swear: To faithfully uphold, to the best of our abilities, the Constitution of the Stevens Student Government Association in all aspects, To, within the outlined boundaries of our respective positions, represent the interests and provide for the general welfare of the students of Stevens Institute of Technology, To, in every circumstance, uphold the ethics and values established and fostered by the campus culture, the Stevens Honor Board, and our own moral compasses.”
The Oath was signed by Gallo and the following Cabinet members who were in attendance: Vice Present of Operations Rami Kammourh, Vice President of Student Interests Dakota Van Deursen, Vice President of Academic Affairs Marianna Fleming, and Secretary Reegan McCaulley. Vice President of Finance Anthony Picone was not present because he is on a co-op term. Picone signed The Oath in private later that evening.
Gallo began his speech, “Thank you to everyone who came out today to witness our first day in office. I am extremely grateful to everyone that elected us, and we promise to fulfill all the duties of the position.”
Gallo spoke highly of his predecessor: “I am honored and honestly a little terrified to assume this position because I will be replacing the one and only Tommy Daly.” He said to Daly, “On behalf of the student body, I would like to thank you and your cabinet for all that you have done. I know we all will miss your spirit, your voice, and especially your laugh.”
Gallo emphasized that he will use his voice to stand up for what is right for the student body, declaring, “I ran for president in order to guarantee that students leave this institution connected to their alma mater.”
He stated that the Cabinet will work to ensure that Stevens students know they can utilize the SGA to help improve their college experiences. “We hope in doing this, that together we can build a diverse student body, inspire a more engaged community of students, and create an inclusive campus that allows for people of all backgrounds to express themselves freely.”
Gallo also explained that the role of the SGA President is to bridge the gap between students and the administration: “Along the way, you can be sure I will be asking a lot of questions, I will be meeting with students, staff, and faculty, learning about their problems, and, undoubtedly, I will be figuring out how we can progress this school forward together.”
One of Gallo’s clearest messages on behalf of the Cabinet was that “We will be listening.”
“Beside me stand some of the most intelligent, caring, and motivated individuals I have ever met. Their commitment to the student body and their array of involvement will allow the student government to leverage the experiences and perspectives of the broadest possible cross section of students,” said Gallo.
Students and Student Affairs professional staff filled Babbio Atrium, and there was a notably large Kappa Sigma population since Daly and Gallo are Kappa Sigma brothers. Gallo thanked the crowd, concluding, “Thank you all for supporting your Student Government on our first day, and we will work to maintain your support until our last.”
Gallo later commented that his ideal role as SGA President would be to bridge the gap with the administration and advocate for students. While Gallo says he has no problem speaking candidly with the administration, he expects his biggest challenge will be fitting into the idea that a president should be “someone super inspiring.” Gallo humbly said, “I don’t think of myself as someone that is super inspiring – I just think of myself as a regular Stevens student.” He also commented, “I feel like when you’re president, you’re sort of like the dad of the school. And you have to make decisions – sometimes that people don’t like, sometimes that people like – but it’s all just to better the student experience.”
When asked if he had always wanted to run for SGA President, Gallo said, “I had a bunch of people come up to me and say ‘I want you to represent me,’ and then I went through with it. It was never really a plan that I had for myself, but I guess it was a plan that other people had for me.”
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