The 106th administration of the Student Government of the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming will begin 2019 with a shift in leadership.
Former Vice President Alex Mulhall and College of Education Senator Jason Wilkins were sworn in as ASUW’s new president and vice president during an inauguration ceremony in the midst of finals week at the tail end of 2018.
The change follows the resignation of the previous president, Seth Jones, who left the office of his own volition.
“I am taking a step back to focus on my mental health and personal well being,” Jones said in a farewell address. “As we move forward, I have complete confidence in Vice President Mulhall and Senator Wilkins to continue in their new roles.”
Mulhall, who ran for vice president as Jones’ partner in the spring semester of 2018, has dropped the ‘vice’ from her title and ascended to a new position, taking on a new range of responsibilities but leaving behind her role as chairperson of the Senate itself.
“I’ve truly loved doing that work with the Senate, but I’m also looking forward to testing my skills and knowledge in a different way now and continuing to work on our platforms that we started out with — and just working towards making this place a better campus, because I’m still very passionate about that,” Mulhall said.
Mulhall intends to remain focused on the goals that she and Jones singled out as their priorities as candidates for office.
“When Seth and I started out, our three platforms were inclusivity, student development and improving campus relationships,” Mulhall said. “We think the campus has been sort of divided in the past, meaning that we have a lot of great leaders and a lot of great organizations but we’re not necessarily communicating in a way that’s beneficial to us. Overall we’re just trying to further reach out from ASUW and make connections so we can better represent students and better serve students in the community.”
Jason Wilkins, formerly a senator for the College of Education and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate (meaning ‘president for a time,’ in the event of the vice president’s absence), now finds himself the ASUW Vice President and chairperson of the Senate.
“I was never expecting to be in this position, obviously, but I do feel that I am well-equipped with what I’ve learned thus far,” Wilkins said. “It’s still a bit daunting but I’m excited. The nerves are settling and I feel a lot more prepared for it. More hopeful than anything, now.”
ASUW meetings are conducted in the Senate Chamber on the upper floor of the Wyoming Union Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Listening sessions are held in the same location and at the same time on Thursdays, during which the authors of legislation presented at the Tuesday meeting will discuss the bill in more detail and answer questions that students and community members may have for them. Both weekly events are open to the public.
