Amelia Dyal and Vevvy Summerall won last month’s Student Government election for student body president and vice president. As they begin their term, they look ahead to their plans as student body leaders.

Dyal and Summerall were sworn into office at the SG Senate meeting last Friday, April 11.

Dyal is a junior studying health science with a concentration in public health. Summerall is a junior studying political science, with a double minor in mass communications and Spanish. 

Spinnaker sat down with Dyal and Summerall to discuss their election win and plans for the next year. 

What was your reaction to finding out you won?

“I was over-the-moon excited,” Dyal responded. She said she was proud of the student voter turnout. 

Summerall said she was at a loss for words, and she was proud of the other senators who won under the Talon Party. 

“Our hard work did pay off,” Summerall said. 

What type of person do you imagine in your cabinet?

Dyal said she is looking for someone who has a passion for serving the student body. She said their administration wants to focus on improving SG’s exposure with the students, so she is looking for people who want to put themselves out there as well as SG.

Summerall said she wants to look for students who not only have passion, but also people who can handle conflicts, downfalls and anything their position entails.

What are some top issues you want to address during your term, and why are they important to you?

Dyal and Summerall said they want to focus on the culture at UNF, as well as transparency between SG and the student body.

“There’s a big gap between student government and the students, and well, it’s a wall,” Summerall said. “So we’re trying to knock down that big wall, maybe make it a sheet, something that’s more transparent, where we could both see what’s going on on both sides.”

Summerall added that they want to increase student engagement at events and games. 

How will you best support underrepresented groups on campus?

Summerall said the biggest thing is making sure all students know they’re safe and supported.

“It’s law. There’s only so much we can do, but just continuing to show [students] that we are your safe space. We have resources for you,” Summerall said.

Dyal said she thinks the Barcal-Davidson administration’s commissions installment was a step forward when it comes to advocating and supporting underrepresented groups. She added that she and Summerall are dedicated to helping maintain a good relationship with the commissions and hearing them out when they express any issues.

What is your vision for the student body over the next year?

Dyal said she hopes students have more of a positive outlook and pride to be a UNF student. She said people sometimes see UNF as a commuter school with less camaraderie than a bigger or larger school, so she wants to change that. 

“I hope people look back on our administration as a whole in a positive light, Dyal said. “I hope they felt supported by us and felt like they were able to come to us with any concerns that they had.”

The two student body elects said they would love to see growth in the Alumni Association, and they ultimately hope students feel supported.

What lasting impact do you hope to leave on the university by the end of your term?

Dyal and Summerall both said they hope to have a positive impact on the culture at UNF. Dyal said she wants every student to find their place at UNF.

“I’m a first-generation student, so I feel very humbled and honored not only to come to college, but take on a role like this because it’s something no one in my family’s ever done before,” Dyal said.

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