Tuesday, Feb. 18, The University of Southern Mississippi Student Government Association announced their newly elected president and vice president.

The SGA election results were announced at 5:15 p.m. Ben Brewer was announced as treasurer, Meredith Barefield as the election commissioner and Wilton Jackson as attorney general. Junior accounting major Kyle Stoner was elected vice president and Jeffrey George, a sophomore political science student, was selected as the new SGA president.

While many students voted in the election, others were not as willing to choose between the candidates. Alex Walters, a junior accounting major, chose not to vote because he believes that the entire voting process should be handled differently.

Walters said each candidate should take more time trying to learn about their fellow students and earn each of their votes. “I find it pointless for people to come out on the day to vote and expect people to vote for them,” Walters said. “I’d rather them just talk and let the people get to know them and let them tell the people what they are going to do for the university.”

Walters also discussed what changes he would like the new SGA officers to make. He said they should bring more unity to the campus by holding events that involve male and female students of all backgrounds, ethnicities and majors.

“I would like to see more events that bring the student body together,” Walters said.

The new SGA officers plan to make many changes to not only the campus, but student life at Southern Miss as well.

“I want to be able to have a student government that fits the student body’s needs and make it accessible for students to join and be able to restore the Senate so that we can be able to get things done in these changing times in our university,” Stoner said.

George was honored to be chosen as the new president, and he thanked students for voting for him. “I just want to say thank you to everyone that took the time to vote and put up with the campaigning for a day,” George said. “Students let their voice be heard, and that’s what matters.”