Student Association president-elect Michael Hogan said he hopes to bring Mississippi State University students a sense of comfort and reliability during his year in office.
Hogan said he is excited about the upcoming year, and one of his main goals once he takes office is to keep students informed and involved with the SA.
“I’m looking forward to keeping traditions and initiatives, but also bringing my new ideas to the table,” Hogan said. “I feel like the aura I give off is very relaxed. I’m a student and I’m here to hang out, but I also get the work done.”
Hogan will be sworn in as SA president at the end of March. He said current president Shelby Balius has already shown him the busy schedule the incoming SA executive board will face over the next month.
“Shelby (Balius) kind of pulled out this filing cabinet of what we’re learning over the next month and there’s just tons of information,” Hogan said. “I’ve got to get to know all these different people. It’ll be fun, but it’s a time crunch. Once the end of March hits, it’s really up to me and the rest of the executive board to get everything together.”
Hogan was formerly chief programming officer for the SA, a position directly appointed by the SA President. He said he believes his role as chief programming officer prepared him for his upcoming presidency.
“I’m a very program-oriented person,” Hogan said. “I love seeing people come out, not have to pay anything and just enjoy an activity on campus without having to think about class for a little bit.”
Hogan said he is looking forward to working with the rest of the elected executive board officials. When asked about the future officers, he described a personal connection he shared with each.
“My campaign manager and I had friendships and relationships with everyone who was running, including my opponent,” Hogan said. “We were comfortable with whoever was going to get each position. After seeing how hard everyone worked on their campaigns, I’m excited to work with those who were elected.”
Although Hogan said he was happy to hear his name called as the new SA president-elect, he admitted having his family present for the announcement made the moment even more exciting.
“I’m from Memphis, and I came to MSU with some really, really good friends from home,” Hogan said. “When I walked into the Union on Tuesday, I saw my Memphis friends all together. One of my friends made a motion and out came my parents and my brother.”
Once he heard his name called as the future SA president, Hogan said he felt relief.
“We were confident throughout the campaign,” Hogan said. “If we had not been confident, we would be setting up for failure. I’ve been working for this position for quite some time, and the feeling of having it all come together is pretty indescribable.”
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