The newly-elected Student Association executive council selected 33 students to serve on the SA Cabinet during the 2004-2005 school year.
President Adam Telle said 56 students applied and interviewed for the positions.
“All of the people who applied were definitely qualified, so it made our decisions tough,” Telle said.
The council looked for students who had demonstrated good work ethic and would be team players, Telle said.
“Part of what makes Cabinet so special is the amount of teamwork involved.”
In addition to already established Cabinet positions, the council filled five new ones. The new positions will oversee the Academic Vision, Co-op on Campus, Graduate and Non-Traditional Student Affairs, History and Traditions and Special Projects committees.
Telle said he is excited about the possibilities of the new committees.
“The History and Traditions committee was created because it’s very important to create pride on campus and promote MSU traditions,” Telle said. “The committee will also help in recruiting and be in charge of the Old Main Park project.”
Graham Bucciantini, a senior in agronomy, was chosen to head the committee.
“I was on Cabinet last year as the director of athletic support,” Bucciantini said. “Adam actually approached me about the new committee because he wanted someone to take over who was familiar with the Old Main Park project.”
Bucciantini said the SA hopes to have the Old Main Park and the Sonny Montgomery statue ready in the fall.
“We hope to have the statue erected on September 11,” Bucciantini said.
The Graduate and Non-Traditional Student Affairs committee was created to meet the needs of students who are not undergraduates, Telle said.
“During the election we heard a lot from grad students, so I really felt this was a position we needed to create,” Telle said.
Matthew Bramuchi, a graduate student in biological sciences, was selected to lead the Graduate and Non-Traditional Student Affairs committee.
“It’s a new and exciting position,” Bramuchi said. “My main goal is to help bridge the gap between grad students and undergrads.”
Bramuchi said he would like to see the SA bridge this gap through actions, not words.
“I would like to see more of the executive officers going to the Graduate Student Association meetings and see more undergraduate students taking part in graduate events,” Bramuchi said. “I would also like for more grad students to go to events that are usually geared toward undergraduates.”
Telle said the co-op on campus committee will be in charge of expanding and continuing the program started by the SA this year, and the academic vision committee will work in the development of the freshman experience program.
Sophomore Seth Robbins will serve as the director of special projects.
“Basically the special projects committee will help everyone else with projects that are going on at the time,” Robbins said. “We will also take over the projects that don’t really fall into anyone else’s categories, and we’ll contribute ideas and suggestions.”
In addition to the new positions, the council also increased the Campus Outreach, Graphic Design and Students with Disabilities Affairs committees to two cabinet members each, instead of one.