Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) confirmed its new Directors of Transgender Equity & Inclusion and elected four new senators at its Nov. 2 meeting.
ASG’s bylaws allows the student body president to create up to three new director positions within the Executive Committee, and appointing a Director of Transgender Equity & Inclusion was one of the promises Student Body President Madelyn Jett campaigned on.
Though Jett initially intended to appoint one person to the position, she felt that two candidates, sophomore Evan Gates and junior Jubilee Skoczen, were both qualified for the position. So, she nominated them to serve as co-directors.
Gates is currently an academic senator in ASG, and he served as parliamentarian in the spring 2021 semester. Skoczen is involved in Spectrum, Chi Omega and Sexual Assault Survivor Support (SASS), but has never been a member of ASG.
Gates and Skoczen agreed that their different involvements on campus allow them to each bring unique experiences to this new position.
“We were both selected because we bring very different perspectives to transgender inclusion and equity on campus,” Gates said, “and the range of our experiences are able to really come together to encompass what is a really broad issue today.”
In their roles, Gates and Skoczen plan to increase education about gender diversity for students, faculty and administrators, as well as continuing work on initiatives such as ensuring all buildings have gender neutral bathrooms.
ASG also held elections for the positions of District 6 On-Campus Senator and Senator-At-Large.
First-year business-undeclared major David Medford ran unopposed for District 6 Senator. He highlighted his experience as a member of Business Professionals of America in high school and said he would work on initiatives to make campus staff feel more appreciated.
Medford was elected to the position.
First-year Logan Harvey, sophomore Antoinette Tucker and first-year Monnica Gay ran for Senator-At-Large positions. Because there were four open seats for that position and only three people running, the candidates were technically running unopposed.
Harvey is an at-large member of ASG’s funding and audit committee and the Honors College’s Anti-Racism & Social Justice Advisory Board. He said he would work on addressing the mental health issues students are currently facing if elected.
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Tucker is a transfer student from Otterbein University. If elected, she said she would work on an initiative to increase access to free food for low income students living off-campus.
Gay is a current member of the College of Education, Health and Society’s diversity, equity and inclusion task force. She said she would increase communication with constituents and distribute newsletters showcasing ASG’s work if elected.
All three candidates were elected.
ASG’s next meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6:15 p.m. in the Joslin Senate Chamber.
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