by Campbell Key
I was waiting for new SGA President McKenzie Selig to show up. We agreed to meet at 3:15 in the Skybox, but it was already crowded with boys, and I, being a freshman, didn’t think it would be the greatest idea to go in and kick them all out, so, I waited.
At 3:20ish McKenzie said goodbye to the friend she was walking with and asked me if I was the girl with the newspaper. I said yes, a little intimidated by the senior, but she was very friendly.
The first question I asked McKenzie was “What is the purpose of the SGA?” because I honestly had no idea what it stood for, or what the point of the SGA was. McKenzie had a good response to my question. She told me that the goal of the SGA is to “get the student’s minds off of school” which is always nice to hear. (And yes, I did learn that SGA stands for Student Government Association.)
As you might know the SGA is in charge of pep rallies, homecoming, and prom, and this year her goal is to bring the whole school together. McKenzie wants to add pep rallies for the spring and winter sports. Not just for homecoming. That’s one more thing you can get excited about for this year! Personally, I love pep rallies, if you can’t tell.
But I started to wonder, if the SGA stands for “Student Government Association” what is the government part of it? McKenzie told me she is pretty limited in the things she can do, and if it’s in the handbook it isn’t changing (sorry girls, yoga pants aren’t going to happen).
She does really want to please all of the students, and try to make as many changes as possible, while balancing her role with other responsibilities like singers, academics, and the community building elements of SGA.
McKenzie did reach out to a friend at Galloway who is also the SGA president to see how they run things there. They have town hall, where students can voice their complaints to the government. The Lovett SGA held a town hall last year, and if you want it to happen again, email McKenzie! Her last name is Selig and she really would love to hear what you think about the SGA, though she cautions students to moderate their expectations when it comes to the SGA making big changes. Still, she believes it’s important to let the administration and faculty know what’s on our minds.
And “our” is the key. If you want things to happen with the parties and pep rallies, which she is trying to make more inclusive, tell her. The SGA is for the people, so “the people” need to get involved.
I asked McKenzie how she got nominated for the job. She said that she had to prepare a speech, and she and the two other guy candidates engaged in a debate for the presidency. In her words, she said it was “pretty freakin’ scary to have to talk in front of the whole school.”
The first half of the questions she had prepared for, but the second half– “oh, that second half”–were just random questions that students threw at her and it was “kinda scary” she said. The next few days for her were stressful. She had to go through another vote and get at least 50% of the student body to vote for her.
She said that she was really glad to have this role, despite all of the time it takes up. She has full SGA meetings, and cabinet meetings, but she loves the job.
Another part of SGA are morning meetings, which everyone knows about because everyone has to go to them. So if for some reason you still don’t know who I’m talking about McKenzie is the girl that starts all of the morning meetings with her interesting facts and Vine compilations.
McKenzie was very nervous before her first morning meeting. Her first one actually occurred last year in May, when the old president, Chris Ocana, “passed the gavel to me.”
She was nervous to have to talk in front of the whole school, and who could blame her? I mean, I think that I’m pretty good at public speaking, but thinking about talking in front of everyone would definitely scare me. McKenzie agreed, saying that those first few morning meetings were indeed stressful.
After the first few meetings though, McKenzie said that she didn’t get nervous anymore, and she indeed seems to be in her element when she is on stage. She said that she “doesn’t want to stress other people out because no one wants to be at school Monday mornings anyways.” She tries to make it as “light hearted and fun as possible.”
If you are a student that was here last year you might remember Chris’s lunch clips. McKenzie said that she tries to make the presentations her own, so she does the fun facts and she claims to be the “vine queen.”
I asked McKenzie if she had any other hidden talents or hobbies, and she said that she knows how to juggle and performed in her camp talent show. Another McKenzie “fun fact” is that her left foot is a whole size bigger than her right foot. Apparently her fancy prom shoes were not very comfortable, but she still loved the long dresses for prom.
Her favorite movies are Now You See Me and Now You See Me 2, and I must agree with her. She likes that each time you watch it, you can pick up on something new.
Again, McKenzie would like to say to the student body that the SGA is “for the people” and if anyone has any ideas for the SGA to please contact MacKenzie (her last name is Selig). She said that it doesn’t even have to involve the SGA; she would be glad for you to just you say hi to her in the halls. She thinks that “meeting new people is so much fun.”
After the interview was over I got up and walked down the stairs with her, and honestly, she is such a nice and caring person. She is very easy going and easy to talk to, and I bet that she’d be happy to get you any answers you need.
After she walked out the front doors, I realized that SGA President McKenzie is certainly a good representative of the ideal Lovett spirit: If you need help, all you have to do is ask.
