ASB inaugurates new board of directors with traditional mementos

“Your work starts today,” said current ASB President mcKensey Wise, to the ASB-elect board of directors at Monday night’s inauguration.

“[Today] you are students employed by students,” said Wise.

The official results of the ASB elections, which took place last week on Wednesday, concluded Friday afternoon. The unofficial inauguration, held in Colt Forum, was attended by approximately 25 students and saw the traditional handing down of office items to the new board.

This year’s ASB Board of Directors is made up of president AJ Borland, Austin Flanagan, Riley Verner, Harrison Wise, Nick Kjeldgaard, Samantha Watkins, Austin Andrews and Jake Henry.

A staff with the name of every director of student relations on it since 1993 is passed down. The next director of finance is “knighted” with a white wooden sword. And to the president, an engraved gavel.

Current ASB Director of Finance Matt Herskowitz summed up the way that this year’s board has left an impact at PLNU.

“It’s been a really great year,” said Herskowtiz. “We’ve focused on making activities a lot bigger and better; we’ve really taken up student initiatives. We’ve contributed money to Res Life for dorm events, to commuter services and focused on really kind of increasing ASB’s impact around campus.”

The newest members of the ASB Board of Directors all have a common interest in improving the student experience. Borland admits ASB president was not his original plan, but that as his passion for this campus has grown, so has his desire to participate in students’ lives.

The event was open to all students to attend as a part of the transparency that this year’s ASB has tried to afford students.

“The weekly address video has been a really big outlet,” said Wise. “We try to talk about all the big decisions we’ve made.”

Wise stressed that the job of all ASB boards is to be more than a voice to the students but to be a voice for the students to administration.

“I think [ASB] is the voice of the students to the administration,” said Wise. “It’s kind of that connection between students and administration.”

The legacy of transparency that this year’s board has pushed is an aspect that Borland expects to persist next year as well.

“I want our board to be open and available to students,” said Borland. “We want student feedback and for students to feel like we are listening to what they like and what they don’t like.”

Borland’s previous experience on the board along with other returning members Watkins and Riley Verner bring their experience as well.

“I think that [my previous experience] is definitely going to help me,” said Borland. “I know the structure of ASB so I know what’s expected of everyone including myself.”

The ASB-elect board will sit in and go through trainings with each of the current board members to familiarize themselves with the positions. Both boards will communicate about decisions in ASB but the official transition to the new board will not take place until graduation in May.

Wise said having the two boards work together will only enhance their ability as leaders to serve the student body.

“I think the collective spirit of both [boards] will make accomplishing dreams easier,” said Wise. “I am excited for our new board but thankful for the old.”