“I am honored now to pass the baton on to Bridgeman Flowers, a sophomore in the College of Education, and Samari Price, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, and look forward to see where they take the student community next and how they continue to lead with and for others as they go forward,” Katie Breck, senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and former president of Marquette University Student Government, said during the inauguration of the new president and vice president elect.
The win was announced March 30 with the inauguration hosted in the Alumni Memorial Union March 31.
“First I want to thank everyone for being here today,” Flowers said, “It’s really an honor to have everyone here supporting us. This is a journey we have been sorting out for a long time. I want to thank Samari Price for running with me and helping me with this process.”
This is the first all Black presidential ballot elected to office for MUSG.
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“I am beyond excited to see how you will carry out your campaign promises of continuing to amplify student voices effectively addressing the climate of campus mental health and create more proactive initiatives,” Amyah Brooks, a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, said addressing the new presidential team.
Newly elected students like Brooks, the newly elected senator for the College of Art & Sciences, spoke in front of the attending crowd addressing the president’s appointment. Having worked with Flowers and Price for all this years Brooks looks to the future.
“I witnessed firsthand how you have mobilized students for positive change on campus, and I am beyond excited to work alongside both of you in your term for next year and the rest of this year,” Brooks said.
Jennifer Reid, interim Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, said she looks forward to continuing to build relationships and engagement through service in the Marquette community with the newly elects.
“Marquette is at its best when we are working with each other toward common goals … we cannot not make Marquette a place where students can thrive without you at the table and I am full of gratitude for who you are and who you have become,” Reid said, addressing the new presidential team.
After taking the oath to represent Marquette, to lead in strong character and advocate for the views of campus, Flowers and Price gave their address as the new presidents of MUSG.
“Coming into Marquette I never thought I would see myself here and I am so privileged for this opportunity. We really hope to amplify student voices- what I mean by amplify is bring out the student experience. We want students to be leaders and in charge of what happens in their perception of Marquette,” Flowers said.
Flowers said he was thankful for everyone who helped him get to where is now, speaking in front of those in attendance which included students and members of the Marquette community.
Price also said she was thankful for those who helped her get to her position. She said her journey with MUSG began as a desk receptionist and she never thought she would’ve made it to the position of vice president.
“It was a long journey. When Bridgeman asked me, I was a sophomore, he was a freshman, and we were entering a whole new semester, that’s when we talked about the journey. It wasn’t something we thought of overnight, it was something we have been planning for a long time and to be here alongside him is something that I am really proud of,” Price said.
Price encourages all students to step out of their comfort zone and try new things.
“When I was a freshman I was a little shy,” Price said, “Now that is not the case. When I speak, I speak loud and I speak clearly … I want to make this a testimony to all marginalized communities. Even if you are the first, still do it and try it and go out and be the difference. Don’t get up in your head, but to run with it and run with it with confidence,”
Flowers said he created a leadership opportunity for himself and established his platform at Marquette. He hopes to be an example for Black, minority and marginalized students.
“I don’t want to be the start to the first, I want to be the beginning of so much more,” Flowers said.
This article was written by Connor Baldwin. He can be reached at [email protected]
