SGA President building school spirit

Amanda Clonts is lobbying for student rights, juggling classes and meetings, garnering support for a student petition and rallying students to get in the school spirit. It’s all in a day’s work for the new University of West Florida Student Government Association president. A senior majoring in international studies with minors in political science and anthropology, Clonts sees her role as a communicator and an advocate for student rights.

“This year, SGA’s goals are commitment, awareness, visibility and accountability,” said Clonts. “In order to achieve these goals, we are collaborating with departments and student organizations on campus.”

Recently, the Student Relations Committee held a suggestion week and also sponsored a T-shirt swap with UWF Athletics this fall at the Athletic Logo Unveiling event held Aug. 18. Students who brought another university’s t-shirt were able to swap it out for a new Argonaut Athletic logo t-shirt. Approximately 600 were exchanged and the old ones were donated to a local charity.

“We are working on building school spirit and tradition on campus,” said Clonts. “For example, we are currently working on petitions to erect a statute on campus that will represent an Argonaut.”

Clonts took office last April and will serve as SGA president until she graduates next year. When asked the classic question of where she sees herself in 10 years, Clonts confidently asserted that she will be working in an environment, hopefully a government setting, where she can really make meaningful changes and help people. This is after she finishes law school, of course.

“I chose to major in international studies because we live in a globalized world, and I want to learn about global issues and problems,” said Clonts. “I chose to attend UWF because I wanted small class sizes, more interaction with my professors and I felt that UWF would provide me with greater opportunities to get involved on campus. I feel that my major, combined with the experience I’m gaining through my participation in SGA, are preparing me well for a future of service.”

The Student Government Association was established for the sole purpose of providing a cohesive and unified voice for the student body with which to communicate the needs of students to the university’s administration and the local, state and federal government.

To learn more about SGA, visit uwf.edu/sga or e-mail Clonts at asc7@students.uwf.edu.

Written by Lauren Smith, University Marketing Communications