ZACH HORRALL | DIGITAL EDITOR | zhorrall@butler.edu
Sam Varie has been re-elected as Butler University SGA president for the 2019-20 school year. Malin Peterson will serve as executive vice president, SGA announced Tuesday.
“We’re very humbled and thankful for the opportunity to continue to serve Butler students,” Varie said. “For Malin and I both this is a place that both of us love and care about.”
The ticket of Varie and Peterson defeated Becky Rhodes and Racquel Wilson, who ran for president and vice president, respectively.
“I just want to thank the supporters and the students, but especially the other ticket,” Varie said. “Becky and Rocky, I know how tiring and how vulnerable running makes you as a candidate and it’s not an easy task.”
This is the first time the student body elected an executive vice president as a result of the new Constitution SGA implemented this year.
“It’ll be a defining year for that role,” Peterson said. “It’ll create a lot of opportunities to work internally with SGA and start those initiatives that we want to bring.”
Varie and Peterson campaigned on enhancing diversity programs, amplifying student voices and innovating the student body through various initiatives, which includes looking at a new Dawg Ride system to enhance campus safety.
Varie, a junior strategic communication major, previously served as a Ross Hall senator in 2016-17 and was a a student initiatives board member during the 2017-18 year before being elected SGA president last year. It is the first time since 1993 that a SGA president will serve a second year.
Peterson was a College of Education senator from 2016-18. Currently, the junior secondary education major is the Speaker of the Senate.
Peterson said their goal is to continue to build relationships on campus and utilize student feedback.
“I like to think that we’ve made great strides in that manner over the past year — really connecting with students from all corners of campus and bringing those voices to the table,” Peterson said. “I think students can expect that we’ll continue to do so.”
Dana Lee contributed to this story.
