Barber Rises Above Deep Field to Win SGA Election

 By V.M. Bruno and Brandon Fern

Live Wire Staff Writers

The results are in for the Manchester Community College Student Government Association annual elections.

Brittanymarie Barber has been elected SGA President for the 2014-2015 school year. Out of the 202 votes posted, she received 63, while candidate Joe Young received 39 votes, Mike LaPorte received 38 votes, Gordon Plouffe received 34 votes, and Bianca Harriott received 28 votes.

The road to the president’s post began on April 15, when the SGA presidential candidates were presented for the first time at the SGA Ice Cream Social.  Barber is currently head of the SGA Elected Representatives. She is also a second year student, and a Liberal Arts and Sciences major.

Barber said she ran for president because she wants to streamline the student government.

She said she wants to “clean up” the student government and focus on “things that need to be improved on campus.”  She also said she wants to keep the SGA committees for clubs, but modify the way they work with clubs.

Runner up Joe Young is a Political Science major and has served as an elected representative and secretary of the Habitat for Humanity Club.

One hot topic during the election was the return of MCC’s athletics program, which was cut in 2013 by Pres. Gena Glickman to save money. It came up during the debate among the presidential candidates on April 29.

 Gordon Plouffe, who is currently the SGA treasurer, said he wanted to launch a multi-year campaign to bring athletics, which at one time included men’s and women’ soccer, men’s baseball and women’s basketball, back to campus.

  “We need to educate ourselves on how government works,” said the business office technology major, proposing a separate budget for the athletics program.

 That was one point Barber and Plouffe agreed on, she said, adding that “if we do not have a separate budget for athletes, we will not get it back.”

 Mike LaPorte, who is currently an SGA elected representative, claimed that restarting the athletics program would bring more students to MCC, boost school pride, and profit MCC in the long term.

 “It can’t be instantaneous,” he said, “but it will come back.”

 Another topic discussed at the debate was the SGA’s role on campus. All candidates agreed that the SGA was not effectively communicating with the student body it represents.

 “I spoke with some people who don’t even know what it is,” said candidate Bianca Harriott, a first year student in the Culinary Arts program.

 Ideas for increasing communication between the clubs and the student body included emails from the SGA to all students when new clubs form on campus.

 Barber said she plans for each club to have an SGA elected representative they can contact for help with any issues.

 “We need to build that bridge,” she said.

 Other positions within the SGA were filled by the election as well.             Katherine Fissel will be the SGA secretary. LaPorte will be the Student Advisory Group Representative. The SGA Vice President and Treasurer are still to be determined. Elected Student Representatives will be Keith Barile, Nathan Cheatham, and Chris Savona. Student will begin holding their offices as of June 1.

 There are two positions open for Elected Student Representative, which will become Student Representative as of June 1.

 Those interested in becoming involved with the SGA can visit the Office of Student Activities, SSC Lowe 149, and with the director of Student Activities T.J. Barber. He may also be reached by phone at 860-512-3282 or by email, tbarber@mcc.commnet.edu.