The SGA announced business administration graduate student De’Joie Simmons, and sophomore communication student, Daquan Williams, as its new president and vice president for the 2017-18 school year at the Student Recognition Banquet on April 7.

2017-18 will be the first year that PNW will have only one president and vice president representing SGA. Currently, both the Hammond and Westville campuses have its own president and vice president.

“The decision was made so we can be one step closer to complete unification,” Williams said. “Having one president and vice president portrays the whole ‘two campus, one university’ slogan. This is something new and we will see how it goes in the new academic year.”

Simmons and Williams said they want to see three changes for SGA next year: change the culture of PNW, install a 24-hour work space on campus for students and be allowed to have a vote during Faculty Senate meetings.

“There are many topics that are discussed in the Faculty Senate meetings that impact students. We need to have that vote, because students are what make PNW. There would not be any faculty here without the students and the school would not be here without the students,” Simmons said. “They trust us enough to give us a Purdue degree, but do not trust us enough to take our vote in matters that affect us.”

Williams wants to see SGA involved more on the campuses and with the students.

“It is one step at a time. We are definitely planning over the summer and we are going through this steady process of what changes are needed for PNW,” Williams said. “I would like to see more students involved, because student involvement is important. You get that family away from home when you’re involved.”

Simmons believes it is important that the international students are represented more and that SGA helps them to explore their culture at the PNW campuses. In the past he helped to develop the Festival of the Lights and worked to create a cricket intramural for the international students who wanted to play the sport.

“This position of me being president is not for me, it is for the people. I want to be a part of the change I want around here. We have to look year by year and see what the students’ needs are and what the students’ issues are. Together we shall seek the noblest,” Simmons said.

Simmons and Williams have worked together in the past and believe that their friendship will help them in working together in SGA. In 2015, Simmons was Williams’ residential assistant and that same year they began working together in SGA. They worked together in the Residence Hall Association in 2016, then in 2017 they began to work in the National Residence Hall Honorary Association. They are also roommates.

“Working with De’Joie is going to be productive. We have the same intentions at heart and we both love to be involved in student organizations. Working with De’Joie is going to be both fun and fruitful,” Williams said.

On April 21, SGA will have its first meeting with the new senators for the colleges and the new president and vice president. Williams and Simmons believe that this will be the beginning of their change.

“I like the track PNW is on right now. We have this new feeling now that we are merged. We are in the same area and we are together. We may be one university but we are now twice as good as we were before,” Williams said.

In addition to president and vice president, Yosef Maynie (Hammond) and Lora Page (Westville) were named Senators of the College of Business and Sciences, A’bby Raymond (Hammond) was named Senator of the College of Business, Victoria Von Uhl (Hammond) and Zachary Zromkoski (Westville) were named Senators of the Honors College, Evan Fus (Hammond) and Benjamin Jumche (Westville) were named Senators for the College of Technology, and Dustin Thibideau (Hammond) was named Senator for the College of Humanities, Education & Social Sciences. Daniel Cieply and Cade Weiler are currently tied for Westville Senator for the College of Business. Revoting is currently going on and the results will be announced on Thursday, April 20.