Mississippi State University Student Association wrapped up the 2024–2025 administrative year with its final senate business meeting on March 25, where outgoing SA President Carson McFatridge, a senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major, delivered a comprehensive “State of the Student Association” address highlighting this year’s SA initiatives and achievements.
McFatridge, who was elected last February along with vice president Lucy Mellen, emphasized the administration’s original campaign themes of outreach, accountability and inclusion. As she reflected on the ideals of her administration, McFatridge noted that flexibility and openness to new ideas were essential throughout her presidency.
“[When you first get elected,] you kind of have an expectation of what the year will look like,” McFatridge said. “But there truly is no way to be prepared. Sometimes you stumble upon brand-new ideas that end up being really impactful.”
Representation and accessibility
Among the administration’s policy achievements was an effort to expand Senate representation to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Honors College Senator Abby Reeves, a junior sociology major, authored legislation to revise the eligibility for the Provost seat and allow students in the College of Veterinary Medicine a chance to be represented.
“Now those students have the opportunity to go for a Senate seat if they want to,” McFatridge said.
The SA also established a Homecoming Review Task Force to evaluate fairness in fall and spring election rules and updated the SA website to allow students to request executive member appearances. Marketing efforts were also updated to increase accessibility to the SA executive branch, with Secretary Maggie Chen, a junior industrial engineering major, adding an appearance request form so student organizations can request their presence. The marketing team also increased the use of closed captions and alt text on social media sites.
Student life and entertainment
Another major focus of the McFatridge administration was student engagement through entertainment and events. The SA contributed support staff and resources to a concert held at Dudy Noble Field, featuring country artist and MSU alumnus Hardy.
“Even with something like that that’s not necessarily an SA initiative, we were the first no-brainer call,” McFatridge said. “That’s just a memory I think a lot of people are going to reflect on fondly after they leave Mississippi State.”
Other campus events included Cowbell Yell, an outdoor pep rally that featured country singer Ernest, and movie nights and workshops promoting collaboration among student organizations.
The SA also sponsored the renovations in the Sanderson Center, which was partly funded by the $25 per student SA Student Activity Fee billed with tuition. These renovations gave the second floor a 7,000-square-foot, open-concept fitness space, and a new bouldering wall was constructed for the first floor.
Finally, the SA has advocated for the construction of new pickleball courts outside the Sanderson Center. MSU President Mark Keenum has volunteered to fund the courts in response to these efforts.
Civic engagement
Civic engagement was a key priority for the SA throughout the year, especially during the 2024 presidential election. The SA partnered with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office and various student organizations to hold voter registration drives, provide transportation to polling places and host the university’s first “Voting Notary Day.”
McFatridge noted that while only 75 students participated in the notary day, the pilot event provided an important service.
“It might not seem like a lot out of 23,000 students,” McFatridge said. “But those 75 votes might have made a difference.”
The SA also worked to improve voter access by establishing a temporary bus route to polling locations and encouraging participation in state and local elections.
Technology and safety
This year, the SA launched several technology and infrastructure projects, including a Wi-Fi task force that gathered data from students on campus connectivity issues.
Additionally, the SA partnered with Rumie, an app that works as a student marketplace, and expanded the app’s functionality to include a marketplace for student-run businesses and began working toward implementing safe exchange zones.
According to McFatridge, the app partnership is expected to have long-term benefits.
“It was a one-time purchase, so basically it’s ours until it’s done,” she said.
This year, the SA alsosupported a peer support initiative through Counseling Services, worked with University Recreation to address women’s safety in the Sanderson Center and worked with the Starkville Police Department to promote their “9 PM Routine” campaign to increase awareness of nightly property crimes.
Sustainability
In terms of sustainability, the SA allocated $14,000 from their Green Fund to support the Wingo Way Restoration project, a Black Belt Prairie restoration project on the east side of campus. The site will serve as both an educational space and a green area aimed at promoting student mental well-being.
“Sustainability is typically only viewed in one way,” McFatridge said. “But conservation efforts like these show how we can expand that definition to include wildlife and natural ecosystems.”
The administration also funded the construction of new bat houses to support local ecosystems.
Legacy
Several ongoing projects are expected to carry over into the next administration, headed by newly sworn-in President Cameron Cummings, a senior software engineering major, including a planned redesign of the Colvard Student Union Starbucks space, with Starbucks itself relocating to Perry Cafeteria. McFatridge noted that the SA helped conduct a student survey to explore possible recreational uses for the space, including gaming tables and simulators.
Other projects passed on to the Cummings administration include providing free feminine hygiene products to campus, creating a S.M.A.R.T. bus night route, and hosting movie nights in Davis Wade stadium.
When asked about her personal legacy, McFatridge said she hopes to be remembered as a compassionate and humble leader.
“At the end of the year, a lot of things will be contributed to my last name…” McFatridge said. “But, just like in basketball, there is a person who makes the basket and gets the stats, but there’s so much more work that got put into that. There was the person who got the rebound, brought the ball down the court, all of them. Those individuals often don’t get the recognition they deserve. It is the same way in the Student Association.”
In fact, during the presentation of the State of the Student Association, after each point made about the yearly achievements of the SA, McFatridge asked the members to stand if they worked on any of the projects mentioned in her speech.
McFatridge said one of her fondest memories from the year involved a late-night scramble to buy king cakes for the SA’s annual Bully Gras event. The night before the event, she and the event planners realized that no stores in Starkville had any left in stock.
“We loaded up in Amaya’s car and raced to the Columbus Walmart just minutes before they closed,” McFatridge said. “We just walked out with 11 king cakes.”
The next day, students lined up to receive slices of king cake at the event. McFatridge said the moment symbolized the behind-the-scenes efforts that often go unseen.
“It’s those little things, like handing out cake, that really make an impact,” she said. “Even if it’s just 15 minutes of student fellowship, that’s what really matters.”
McFatridge described the SA as a source of community throughout all four years of her college experience.
“I’ve gotten to interact with so many different people that have different perspectives than me, different backgrounds,” she said. “Being able to be influenced by those around me gave me an opportunity for personal growth and development.”
Looking ahead, she encouraged future SA leaders to focus on serving the student body.
“There’s no set of instructions to make you the most qualified,” McFatridge said. “But being uniquely yourself and offering your perspective is a perspective nobody else can have.”
