Inauguration marks new beginnings


Tuesday night’s USG meeting, which featured the swearing in of President Andrew Menard, Vice President Rini Sampath and the 2014 USG Senators, marked the end of the road for USG’s 2013 representatives and a new beginning for student government at USC.

Mr. President · USG presidential elect Andrew Menard is sworn in as USG student body president during Tuesday’s USG meeting. - Austin Vogel | Daily Trojan

Mr. President · USG presidential elect Andrew Menard is sworn in as USG student body president during Tuesday’s USG meeting. – Austin Vogel | Daily Trojan

In a crowded gallery of the Ronald Tutor Campus Center, incoming officials took oaths “to uphold the undergraduate constitution, by laws and code of ethics to perform any tasks and duties which they are delegated.”

After Vice President Ryan Park gave a farewell to the old USG senators, the new Senate had a brief meeting, overseen by Sampath.

The lone item on the agenda was a speech by Menard, in which he thanked his running mate and those who elected him.

“I’m truly humbled by the task before us, and honored by the trust the student body has placed before Rini and me,” Menard said.

Menard outlined numerous goals for his term, all of which rest on his pledge to faithfully represent USC student concerns, in dialogue with campus administration and elsewhere.

“The role of student government has always been to represent the voice of the student body,” Menard said. “As president I will initiate, coordinate and guide student efforts aimed at improving student life activities, and I will always fight for the preservation of student rights.”

Along with defending the interests of students, Menard wants to cultivate a greater sense of community on campus. He promised that his administration will work to reach out to students and form a more cohesive atmosphere at USC.

Lest one think these are empty promises, Menard says that changes he proposed are already taking place. Chief among these is a recently passed amnesty policy, designed to protect students who report medical emergencies from repercussions.

Though the vision expressed in Menard’s speech was expansive, it was checked by a basic sense of responsibility toward fellow students. During his time at USC, Menard said he has recognized a simple truth: the need for students to be kind and supportive of one another.

“Every day I believe that we are called to do small things with great love and intention for our fellow classmates,” he said. “We are all part of the Trojan Family, and together we will strive to improve our great university.”