LaBoy wins second term as SGA president at Westminster

By Kristie Kahl

Junior Ryan LaBoy wins it again.

Westminster announced its new Student Government Association Executive Board for the 2009-2010 school year yesterday.

“I think, by virtue of the fact that Ryan was elected for a second term, it is indicative of the fact that he is meeting the needs of the student body,” said Larry Johnson, Westminster’s associate dean of students.

LaBoy will lead the board for his second consecutive term while senior Billy Mattison will assist him as vice president. Junior Lauren Parsons will serve as the treasurer again and sophomore Anthony Baron won secretary.

“The fact that they have chosen to run embodies the spirit of the Westminster community,” Johnson said.

LaBoy is a music education major from Wallkill, N.Y. Besides being the current SGA president, he is also involved with the Black/Hispanic Alliance, CMENC Chapter 183, Gay-Straight Alliance and the Westminster Choir. LaBoy began his college career as the Class of 2010’s president for two years before serving as SGA president in his junior year.

While having many ideas for his continuing position, LaBoy would like his executive board to continue to focus mostly on the “4 C’s”, which consist of communication, collaboration, consciousness and continuation.

“Serving as SGA president has made me realize the importance of a strong relationship and constant communication within the numerous spheres of our community — and the tremendous value of each,” LaBoy said in a written statement.

As his first year comes to a close, LaBoy chose to run for president again because he felt there was much more he had to offer to the WCC community.

“When coming into positions such as this, it is important to understand that many times one cannot accomplish all of his/her goals,” he said. “Fortunately, I was elected to this position as a junior and still have another year in which I can work to further and better the state of Student Government at Westminster.”

Another concern LaBoy is ready to deal with is creating more unity between the two Rider campuses through conversation and open communication.  Although he feels much has been done in regard to this issue, LaBoy plans on “fostering a better sense of community.”

LaBoy envisions a “close-knit community” centered around diversity, music and culture. He would not like to do this alone, and he asked his student body to help WCC achieve this vision.

“I am a proponent of teamwork within leadership and recognize that I do not always have the answer to resolving various issues,” LaBoy said. “I will continue to collaborate with students and administration, including our executive board, to resolve any concern presented to our body.”

Parsons will be returning to the executive board for her second term as treasurer as well. The Delran, N.J., native is a music theater and music education major. Outside of SGA, she is involved in the Disney Choir, the Princeton Jazz Exchange Ensemble, Music Educators National Conference and the Black/Hispanic Alliance.

“After serving one year as treasurer, I am excited about the possibilities of serving Westminster students for one more year,” Parsons said in a written statement. “Building upon the leadership skills and experience I have developed, I look forward to continuing the work of this past year in order to improve Student Government.”

In her second term, Parsons would like to continue working on more accountability and transparency as treasurer while assisting the executive board to maintain a more sustainable campus.

“My dedication to this position thus far has shown me that, while this job is not easy, it is extremely rewarding and an integral part of the way student life functions within the university,” Parsons said.

Like LaBoy, Parsons is interested in working toward a more unified university. She enjoys the original characteristics of the Westminster campus but feels the two campuses should continue to work together on new ideas for the future.

“Through my experiences, I have seen some of the shortcomings of this system and I look forward to finding new solutions to old problems,” Parsons said.

As she continues her position next year, Parsons would like to bring “objectivity and balance” to the finance board without sacrificing “the core principle of fiscal responsibility.”

“By using the institutional knowledge and contacts I have acquired, I will be able to expand on my successes to faithfully serve the student body again,” she said.

Baron, originally from White Lake, Mich., is a piano and vocal performance major. Outside of SGA, he participates in student senate, writes for The Rider News and was the Class of 2011 treasurer.

“Student Government has undergone numerous changes over the past few years, and I hope that I will be given the opportunity to help facilitate further change in student life at Westminster,” Baron said in a written statement.

With many goals in mind, Baron would mainly like to focus on seeing an “efficient, effective, communicative and responsible student government for all students to be active participants in.”

As secretary, Baron hopes to increase communication and collaboration between the students and the organizations within the WCC community.

“I think that in order to bring Westminster into the 21st century, we need to think in a more limbic and dynamic fashion,” he said.

Baron would also like to create a new Web site for the SGA, which would include information about events coming up on campus, individual organizations with a place on the site for members and the public and more public forums.

Baron feels that the secretary should be able to keep record and efficiently write records, all of which he is more than qualified for.

“I am familiar with how minutes must be taken, I understand the importance of language, and know how crucial it is to have a secretary who is committed to student government and be able to deal with government in an efficient manner,” he said.