By: Katy Kelly
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – On Friday, March 8, the Associated Student Government (ASG) announced Mason Berres as the newly-elected president for the 2024-2025 academic year. Berres’ goals include providing resources to students, improving transportation, and increasing student body participation.
Voting opened on Monday, March 6 at 9 a.m. and closed on Wednesday, March 8 at 4 p.m. All currently enrolled undergraduate students who attend the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville were eligible to vote in the general election.
Berres said he is excited about moving forward with the presidency with his newly-elected executive as well.
“I was thrilled to have won the election with my team standing beside me,” Berres said. “This has been a dream of mine since my freshman year, so to see it come true was incredibly exciting and so fulfilling. I was also proud of our work to get there over the past few months, and I am excited to continue working for the students at our university.”
Here are the election results for the 2024-2025 academic school year:
2024-2025 Executive Team:
- President: Mason Berres
- Vice President: Aleesa Williams
- Secretary: Sydney Roulhac
- Treasurer: Rhea Patel
2024-2025 Senate:
- Bumpers College Senators: Annalise Robbins and Abigael Villeneuve
- Fay Jones College Senators: Gabriel Schlesing and Benjamin Purcel
- Fulbright College Senators: Keelin Fisher, Logan Martin, Cooper Murphy, Syndey Stewart, Jackson Terrell, Ashley Waters, and Sofia Westron
- Engineering College Senator: Catherine Warren
- Walton College Senators: Alexander Dennis and Benjamin Schaffer
With the new executive team and senators, Berres said he hopes to provide students with access to financial resources to alleviate the burdens that prevent community connections.
One financial resource is the student leadership stipend. This rewards Registered Student Organization (RSO) leaders with the opportunity to be recognized for creating a sense of community and belonging on campus. This would also alleviate the financial burdens that are placed on them.
Not only does Berres acknowledge financial rewards, but he said he also sees the importance of teaching students how to manage their finances. He and his team plan to provide students with opportunities to participate in financial literacy workshops to improve their knowledge of these topics.
Another initiative that Berres and his team plan to support is the Faculty Lunch Program, also known as Flunch. The Flunch program intends to facilitate meaningful interactions between students and campus faculty, staff, and administrators.
Berres said creating this connection between students and faculty is important.
“This will allow students to engage with on-campus professionals which will cultivate a sense of connection and give students a direct outlet for their ideas and thoughts regarding campus life,” Berres said.
Not only does he want to use Flunch to provide students with the option to share their ideas, but he also wants to use his position to be a catalyst to make sure students are heard. Berres said he is honored to be elected, and he plans to use it for the betterment of the student body.
“Being in the fortunate position that I am I have the leverage of the students beside me to advocate on their behalf on important issues that affect students every day,” Berres said. “I will have the chance to interact with various stakeholders, including faculty, administrators, alumni, and community leaders to advance the student experience.”