Godwin/Ferguson elected SGA president and vice president

The two campaigned on the slogan, “Voice Your Heart.”

Brittany Ung, Sophia Silvester, and Andres Ramirez • February 12, 2020

Keren Godwin (right) and Gretchen Ferguson (left) win the SGA election for president and vice president.

Photo courtesy of Haven Luper-Jasso // THE CHIMES

Student Government Association’s president and vice president for the 2020–2021 school year will be sophomore communication studies major Keren Godwin and sophomore public relations major Gretchen Ferguson.

GODWIN AND FERGUSON WIN

Godwin and Ferguson were in the Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health at around 10:30 p.m. when they received the call notifying them of their win.

“[Hearing the result] was very overwhelming,” Godwin said. “Just because this week has been a lot of work that we put in. And it was just so rewarding to hear from the community and so I’m glad that translated to the community and that they felt our hearts and shared their hearts with us.”

Ferguson expressed gratitude for the student body’s support in the election.

“A big thank you that you trust us enough to voice your heart and that everything that’s on your heart matters, no matter if it’s big or small or minute,” Ferguson said. “It matters to us and if it’s big to you then it’s big to us, no matter what other people think. And we’re really honored that we are going to be able to voice that to the community.”

GODWIN/FERGUSON: “VOICE YOUR HEART”

The duo ran on the campaign slogan, “Voice Your Heart.”

“Thank you so much for sharing your hearts with us this week and for being willing to trust us with this position,” Godwin said to their constituents. “And thank you for trusting us to be the people that really make sure your voices are heard on campus.”

As Godwin and Ferguson begin the transitional process, the two will meet with SGA’s new staff for the upcoming school year. The 2020–2021 senators are expected to be announced tomorrow.

“I’m excited to do training because I have so many ideas already for next year,” Godwin said. “So to be able to see how we can tangibly have those play out is exciting to me.”

HOULIHAN AND ARNAIZ FALL SHORT

Godwin and Ferguson were opposed for the SGA presidency and vice presidency by junior history major Timothy Houlihan and junior business major Ryan Arnaiz.

“I’m happy,” Houlihan said after hearing the election’s result. “Either way I was going to be pleased because the students of Biola made their choice. And I believe that the next year will prove whether or not they made the right one. And I still have my hat.”

Houlihan said he is “immeasurably grateful” for the students who voted for them.

“You all voting for me was probably the biggest measure of trust you could put in someone you likely just met who knocked on your door wearing a trench coat and top hat,” Houlihan said. “So I’m pleased that my vision for Biola resonated for so many of you. And I think that Godwin and Ferguson will try to do their best at implementing the communication procedures that we hoped to implement ourselves and work for the best of all the Biola students.”

The loss caps off the Houlihan/Arnaiz campaign, which was characterized by the slogan, “We Have Hats.”

“I do want to say that [Tim] has to put his fancy hat away now, because the elections are over,” Arnaiz said.

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About the Contributors

Brittany Ung, Web Editor

Brittany Ung is a senior journalism major who loves fine point pens and could easily beat you in a tangerine eating contest. [email protected] Hi! I'm a journalism major from the Bay Area, home of Google, Tom Hanks and probably the most (or at least the best) boba shops per capita in the nation. I grew up doing competitive speech and debate — I competed in my first tournament when I was just 12 years old, advocating for the privatization of the United States Postal Service. Diving into the study of public policy taught me that I love learning about people and how we react to the things we’re confronted with. Right now, I'm picking up as much as I can about how we blueprint the world we live in, through industrial design and city planning. When my brain is too full to learn anything else, I'll play card games, practice cooking or re-read my favorite children's books. I’m following in the steps of my mom (and homeschool teacher), herself a former news director and radio broadcaster. We’re almost opposites when it comes to personality, but we share a love for synonyms, Century Gothic and learning new things. I was previously the Chimes’ news editor and editor-in-chief, but I’m back as web editor to challenge myself to learn about multimedia, web design and audience engagement by working on our website and social media profiles.

Sophia Silvester, Staff Writer

Sophia Silvester is a freshman journalism major who enjoys meeting new dogs, drinking coffee and storytelling in all its forms. I'm a native Californian that was transplanted to Idaho for seven years where I learned I love snow but hate long winters. Now that I'm back, I'm thoroughly enjoying the sunshine, the beach, and living within ten minutes of In-n-Out. This year I am attempting to combat my fear of failure through jumping headfirst into new experiences like writing for The Chimes as I work towards figuring out what I want to do as a career. Through reporting for The Chimes, I have discovered a love for connecting readers to people from different lifestyles and cultures by telling their stories in a way that bridges gaps. I also love the opportunity to teach my readers about topics I am learning about through the wide variety of articles I get to cover. When I'm not writing, you can find me reorganizing my dorm room for fun, reading books for Torrey, looking for dogs or researching new ways to make better coffee.

Andres Ramirez, Staff Photographer

Andres Ramirez is a Senior Interdisciplinary Studies major, who loves photography, coffee, tacos, Relient K and Jesus. He also loves spending time with good friends, watching movies and visiting nice SoCal beaches. Hello my fellow friends! My name is Andres Ramirez and I come from South Central LA. My first real love –– besides the Lord Jesus Christ, of course –– is photography. I have done photography since 2018; that’s when I bought my first DSLR camera. You may see me around with my camera taking photos or editing photos on my laptop. I also love Relient K. There is a good chance you will see me on campus with a Relient K t-shirt. However, I am opening my music preference to the Jonas Brothers as well. I love coffee, tacos, video-games and hilarious videos. During my free time, I like to hang out with some good friends. If not, then I usually grab my camera gear and a notebook and go to the beach or anywhere nice to meditate and take photos. I also like to learn new things about myself as a person, current events and God. I am so excited to be part of the Chimes as a photographer to conclude my time here at Biola. I also play drums, though I believe I am not that good.