TU Nation sworn as executive officers

As TSG inaugurated its new leaders, President Natalie Ramos-Castillo stepped down.

Yesterday, April 18, Temple Student Government held its 2011 inauguration for winning executive ticket TU Nation.

Natalie Ramos-Castillo, whose term as TSG student body president came to an end at the inauguration, began the meeting by thanking everyone for attending and then led the Owl Pledge for her final time.

Elliot Griffin was then sworn in as the vice president of external affairs along with Ugochukwo Obilo as the vice president of services.
Ramos-Castillo gave her last speech as student body president, going over the accomplishments her ticket BreakThru TU has made during the past year, such as launching wireless printing, creating a student organization resource room and rallying for funding for higher education, both in Harrisburg, Pa., and on Main Campus.

Ramos-Castillo then swore in Colin Saltry as the student body president and wished him success in the upcoming year.

“Colin, you are now needed to lead the student body through uncertain times where any cut to funding will affect the students, and you will be the one that students are going to be looking towards,” Ramos-Castillo said.

Saltry then began his speech by thanking the 14 student organizations who endorsed TU Nation, the 1,571 students who voted for his ticket and opponent Owl Future for a “great campaign.”

TSG, Saltry said, has been criticized in the past for “boring meetings” and not doing its job. He said TSG will now function differently and begin a “new chapter” with its new constitution that allows for more student involvement and accountability.

“We’ve reorganized ourselves to emphasize efficiency and to make our work relevant for regular students,” Saltry said. “Today, we are in a unique position to truly make a difference.”

Saltry then went over TU Nation’s platform, emphasizing its main points: providing transportation services, creating a student advocacy center and office for student organizations, giving students a chance to create policies and increasing communication efforts.

“Building a TU nation is going to take a lot of hard work from a lot of different people,” Saltry said. “As we move forward, we’re going to need your talents, your voices and your help.”

Ramos-Castillo, who said she had to fight back tears during her speech, said she has faith TU Nation’s executive officers will achieve many of their goals during their term. She said Saltry was involved in many of her ticket’s duties this year and that he has a head-start as student body president.

The proposed budget cuts, Ramos-Castillo said, will be TU Nation’s biggest challenge.

“How they’re going to make it through [the cut] and how they’re going to help students through that process is going to be really difficult,” Ramos-Castillo said. “But I know that they’re going to do fine.”

Ramos-Castillo, who is graduating after this semester, said she is waiting to hear back from a graduate school in Chicago and has many people at Temple helping her plan for the future.

The inauguration ended with a performance by the Irish Step Dance Club. The first General Assembly meeting will be held on April 25.

Cary Carr can be reached at cary.carr@temple.edu.