Social clubs around campus have elected new officers for the upcoming year.
The election process varies by club, either through nomination or by simply expressing interest and talking with the club advisors and current officer who holds that position. During election night, the candidates will give their speeches and the members will vote. Whoever receives the majority vote will win the position they ran for.
Eric Schinske, senior social work major from Argyle, graduates in May but that did not stop the men of Galaxy from voting for him as their next president. Schinske will attend graduate school at ACU in the fall and ran for presidency because of the love he has experienced inside the club.
“I come from a background where church and God are not important. While I was pledging, a friend of mine was shot and killed and I was going through a very dark time,” Schinske said. “The men of Galaxy surrounded me, loved on me and prayed over me constantly. They made sure I was not alone and it changed my thoughts toward Christ and faith and for the first time I felt overwhelmed with God’s love.”
This experience influenced his decision to run for president.
“This fraternity means so much to me and this is a way I knew I could serve them and make sure others could experience God first, others second and self last,” Schinske said.
Dressed in a wolf T-shirt with American flags in the background, white converse and a messy bun she had slept in the night before, Morgan Watten, junior psychology major from Coppell, gave her speech for president in front of the women of Ko Jo Kai.
“I wore that because that’s just who I am,” Watten said.
The main role of the officers is to serve the members and that is what Watten said she is excited to do.
“This little club of women has uplifted and encouraged me in countless ways, so this is my opportunity to give back and support them to the best of my ability,” Watten said.
Becoming president isn’t about taking the club in a new direction entirely, but about making sure the club takes steps in the right direction and that is the plan for Drew Ritchie, the new president of Gamma Sigma Phi.
“Our previous officer team did a great job of keeping club in a great direction,” Ritchie said. “I think the presidents’ job isn’t to take club to an entirely different place, but to take a couple steps in the right direction. We had such a great group of pledges this past year and I think that is evidence club is in a good place.”
This year, Ritchie is setting a few goals of his own.
“My goal is to keep up the environment where guys can experience college and have some of their favorite moments at ACU,” Ritchie said. “GSP has done that for years and I see it only continuing.”
