“We need to eliminate the wall that’s been built between the student body and the Student Government Association,” Steven Russell said.
As the newly elected University of West Florida SGA president, one of Russell’s first priorities will be to eliminate a barrier, generated by a lack of communication and a sense of unattainable candidates, and make SGA more accessible to students.
One of the ways Russell plans to tear down the wall is with a bill he has introduced that would divide the UWF campus into eight groups, each with three individual senate representatives to speak for their interests.
The groups listed in the bill are: athletics and recreation, graduate students, fraternities and sororities, honor societies, multicultural organizations, nontraditional and commuter students, resident students, and special interest groups.
The three senators for each group will include one member from the Finance, Student Relations, and Academic committees. These senators will be chosen by the committees they are currently serving.
The senators will be responsible for writing bills and resolutions on behalf of the group, establishing contact between the group and SGA, and serving as a connection between the SGA and the group.
“The bill’s goal is to open up communication between students and SGA by giving them a direct liaison between themselves and SGA,” said Russell, a senior public relations major.
Russell also expressed great confidence in the Freshman Committee, a facet of SGA consisting of nine freshmen students who are assigned to organize two major projects over the course of the year.
“They’re non-voting members, it’s more of a tutorial,” Russell said. “I believe six out of nine freshmen from the committee ended up on the Senate.”
In preparation for the upcoming primary and general elections, one of Russell’s additional goals is to ensure that the student body is not only registered to vote, but also has the means to make an informed decision.
“We’re nonpartisan, but I really want to encourage voting and make sure they have information,” Russell said.
Prior to becoming president, Russell was the director of student lobbying, a position now held by former SGA President Erin Sandonato.
“We sort of switched jobs,” Russell said. “I get a lot of advice from Erin. Between the two of us, we feel pretty comfortable in the Florida Legislature.”
In addition to his presidential duties, Russell is also involved in Navigators, a student-recruiting group, countless SGA-related committees, and is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
“I like to keep busy. It’s not a stress thing, it’s a busy thing,” Russell said.

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