Members of the Student Government Association gathered for its first official meeting of the 26th Senate on Tuesday.
Former SGA Student Body President Rush Robinson began the meeting with opening remarks and acknowledging the abundance of new faces in the chamber.
“It’s cool to see a fresh new senate, y’all look young and lively and untainted by SGA and all of its woes,” Robinson said with a laugh.
Robinson then turned to newly elected SGA Student Body President Caden Lucas and gifted him with a red suit jacket, wearing the same one that his predecessor gave him the year prior.
“You might not know, but it’s tradition that the incoming student body president gets a red jacket from the outgoing, so this is the one that Sam (Kurtz) gave me and I have here, Caden’s red jacket,” Robinson said.
Outgoing Student Body Vice President Savanna Kurtz took to the podium after Robinson to deliver her final report of the year. She informed the senate that all scholarships offered in the 2025-2026 academic year had officially been awarded.
Kurtz introduced two of the 15 recipients of the Blue Grass Community Foundation Scholarship. The award is offered annually to graduating high school seniors who reside in Central and Eastern Kentucky and have demonstrated academic success and leadership skills, according to its website.
Outgoing Chief Financial Officer Gabriel Jerdon delivered the year’s final budget report. Jerdon announced that $100 of organizational aid remains in the account as a “slush fund” to be used in rations to any organization that might need it. Jerdon reported that all other funds for things such as office supplies, award plaques, and the end-of-year SGA banquet have been “zeroed out.”
“We’re in a good spot for the end of the year and I appreciate all the help,” Jerdon said.
In his officer report, graduating senior and outgoing Chief Communications Officer Preston Jenkins thanked the senate and encouraged new members to cherish their time in SGA as well as to recharge during the summer to prepare for the upcoming year.
Student Body President Caden Lucas delivered the last speech and thanked the new cabinet members for their willingness to serve the WKU community and the outgoing cabinet for their service throughout the year.
Student Body Vice President Jakob Barker also reflected upon his time in SGA up to this point, serving as both a freshman and sophomore senator before ascending to the vice-presidential position.
“Two years ago, I was graduating high school. I didn’t really know what was in store for me. Now I get to stand here in this role and this position and I think that’s really meaningful to show the impact that SGA has on people….” Barker said.
Following the speeches, the meeting swore in new members: Gabby Pace as new chief of staff, Cayden Bailey as chief of communications officer, Maggie Phelps as a new judicial council member, and Jaden Marshall as a new senator at-large.
Current senators Amelia Tucker, Veronica Butler, Molly Ricky and Jaden Marshall all delivered speeches in a race for speaker of the senate to replace graduating senior and current Speaker Hadley Whipple.
After delivering speeches, the candidates left the room to allow for deliberation and voting. Voting ended in a 9-9 tie between Tucker and Butler.
Members of the senate quickly deliberated aloud whether to base the decision upon a tie-breaking vote as chatter ensued in the chamber. When asked by Lucas, Chief Justice Sophie Sterling clarified that neither the current constitution nor any current by-laws clarifies how a speaker is to be chosen in the case of a tie.
After a brief deliberation, Whipple ultimately decided in favor of a re-vote between the two top candidates, in which Butler was elected new speaker.
