With the spring comes gusty wind, warmer weather and new social club officers.
Clubs across campus are making preparations for next year as they begin the new officer election process. Some clubs take nominations, others allow candidates to put their own name on the ballot, and others, like Alpha Kai Omega, completed their elections in the fall semester.
“The new officers accept their office at Christmas social,” said Bethany Morgan, current Alpha Kai Omega president. “We’ve always gone by the calendar year. That’s the way it’s always been and so we just continue the tradition.”
Despite differences in election processes, there are certain requirements that all officer candidates must meet.
“Each student that is nominated is checked to make sure they are eligible both academically and that they are also in good standing with the university,” said Mark Jackson, director of student organizations and programs. “I ask for all students that are nominated to be turned in to my office two weeks before an election happens. This gives us adequate time to do these checks.”
This year, Jackson plans on working closely with the newly elected officer teams.
“I want to get to know each officer by name, know why they took on the role in club they have, and answer any questions or concerns that they might have,” Jackson said.
“We are also planning a retreat for the top three officers in each club the week before school starts. This retreat will deal with leadership development, policies and better understanding their role as an officer,” Jackson said.
Like Jackson, newly elected Ko Jo Kai president, Ali Wren, a junior speech pathology major from Arlington, is looking forward to the upcoming year.
“One of my main goals as president is to unite club in order to serve others,” Wren said. “We have been thinking of not only fun social events, but also some great service projects for the next year. Our goal is to reach out to ACU students and the Abilene community.”
Morgan, junior Ad/PR major from Nocona, has similar objectives.
“A goal of mine is to have more activities with other clubs in campus. I want to show campus Alpha Kai cares about them and their specific group,” Morgan said.
For outgoing officers, the transition can be bittersweet.
“I really want to thank the current officers for their efforts and energy this year. All of them have been a blessing in my life,” Jackson said. “It’s a daunting task to lead your peers, so I commend any student that has the desire to step up and lead.”
