SGA gears up: Annual State of the University address

Liberty University’s Student Government Association (SGA) is gearing up for its annual State of the University Address Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. at the Towns Auditorium in the School of Business.

Modeled after the State of the Union, the upcoming event will serve as a platform for SGA to showcase its successes over the past year and outline its future plans. Daniel Hostetter, student body president, and Braden Daniels, student body vice president, shared insights into the upcoming address. The two student leaders expressed excitement about the significant strides that SGA has made.

“We’ve had a banner year,” Hostetter said. “We formed a new relationship with President Costin, allowing us to be the first students to speak to the Board of Trustees, as far as we know, in Liberty’s history.”

Hostetter, set to deliver the keynote speech, emphasized the inclusive nature of the State of the University, encouraging not only SGA members but the broader student body to attend.

“We would love for the student body to come and hear more about what SGA is doing and about how they can get involved to help make our campus a better place for the future,” Hostetter said.

The upcoming address is expected to last about an hour, featuring topics such as the successes of the past semester and the positive relationship with President Costin. Following the address, attendees can look forward to an assortment of complimentary refreshments.

Highlighting the effectiveness of SGA’s internal processes, Daniels talked about how the event will cover various events and legislative accomplishments.

“SGA is way more effective than we’ve ever been,” Daniels said. “Our internal processes have been totally transformed. Our treasury and clubs teams are expanding, and they have become far more robust since our budget doubled last year.”

Hostetter and Daniels emphasized the impact of SGA’s initiatives, pointing to the quick implementation of legislation as a key achievement.

“Because of the hard work of so many representatives and senators, legislation is being implemented very quickly after it’s being signed,” Hostetter said.

The two executive leaders pointed to specific examples of SGA’s legislative success, such as a resolution addressing the need for software resources to combat pornography addiction on campus. The resolution received immediate approval and support.

SGA Senator Ashton Bengston, who authored the legislation, will attend the State of the University Address.

“I can’t wait to see how this, as well as many of our other projects, get implemented and witness how God uses it to help and improve students’ lives,” Bengston said.

Bengston, a junior who has been involved with SGA for three years, is looking forward to attending the State of the University Address.

“What I’m looking forward to most is hearing about the successful collaboration we’ve been able to accomplish recently. Although SGA is a primarily-student-led body, many of our accomplishments can only be done with the support and partnership of many Liberty departments,” Bengston said.

Hostetter and Daniels encouraged students to engage with SGA by taking advantage of open positions in the House of Representatives. They also highlighted the upcoming open response session after the State of the University Address, where students can ask questions and share their thoughts.

“Hop on board with SGA because this is a train that isn’t going to stop; it’s just going to get faster and faster,” Hostetter said.

To learn more about the upcoming State of the University Address and SGA, follow @libertyusga on Instagram or visit this website.

Zack Solem is a news reporter for The Champion. Follow him on X