Over 100 students gathered for a night of unity and collaboration at the Student Government Association’s second annual members-only Opening Banquet Ceremony at the Montview Alumni Ballroom Sept. 5.
Excited students dressed in formal attire milled about tables decorated in gold and blue. Student Body President Isaac Kantola kicked off the event by welcoming the attendees, opening the night in prayer and encouraging the students to partake from the buffet tables.
Kantola said SGA had its first opening banquet last year to cultivate better communication and collaboration within the different branches of the association. With this year’s opening banquet, he said he hoped it would encourage members from across the legislative, judicial and executive branches to become acquainted with one another and to start the semester off with increased trust and productivity.
“We (SGA) are a community, all working toward the same thing. Let’s get to know each other, right, so just a good time of community at the beginning of the semester, a chance for each of us to introduce ourselves and cast a vision for where we’re going this year, I would say that’s the big thing for this event,” Kantola said.
Kantola said he worked with Maddie Todd, the Director of Events for SGA, who helped lead the design of the ceremony. Todd is a sophomore studying Politics and Policy with a minor in Pre-Law. She said the banquet serves a vital role in promoting harmony within the association.
“It (the banquet) is wonderful for student government because it sets the tone for the entire year,” Todd said. “It’s wonderful to have everyone united under one place and to put on a professional event that elevates all of SGA.”
With light instrumental music humming in the background, Kantola returned to the stage as the attendees finished their Sodexo-catered dinner.
Kantola announced that SGA would be using a brand-new digital file organizational system to organize the association’s collection of past and present legislative materials. He said he worked with the IT department and SGA’s Director of Technology Isaiah Mellace and SGA’s Director of Internal Affairs Jonathan Pattara to create a more streamlined digital system to collect their ongoing projects.
Pattara, a sophomore majoring in IT, with specializations in Data Networking and Security, said an event like this is integral to SGA’s continued success.
“This type of event is phenomenal because it shows that not only are we one student government, but more importantly, we represent one student body and serve one God,” Pattara said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to show what we are, who we are and how we’re going to achieve things this year.”
Student Body Vice President Isaiah Varella, who addressed the students in attendance after Kantola, said he hoped the event would prompt SGA members to build lasting friendships and professional connections with one another.
“We would really love for SGA members to not only see that there’s other like-minded members in this room that want to serve the student body, but to form relationships, because you can work alongside people, but if you don’t know about their family, if you don’t know about their life, how you can be praying for them, you can only do so much when you’re working alongside them,” Varella said.
Towards the latter half of the event, Will Bosch, SGA’s speaker of the house, the president of the senate Braeden Boerger and Chief Justice Ava Edwards each introduced themselves and discussed their excitement for the future of SGA. Then, Kantola returned for a closing speech and Executive Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Mark Hine prayed at the end.
Kantola urged the students to grow in their faith, while also striving to make tangible improvements that would help the university to thrive.
“When we leave this event, when it gets difficult, when motivation starts to fade, recall this purpose: keep the burning heart alive by looking upward and pressing on,” Kantola said. “To God be the glory both now and this year and forever.”
For more information about SGA’s upcoming events, like the SGA Town Hall, which will be held in the Jerry Falwell Library’s Terrace Conference Room Sept. 11 from 6-7:15 p.m, follow @libertyusga on Instagram.
Davis is the Editor-in-Chief for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.