PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 24, 2021) – After a campaign during which there were neither in-person events nor the traditional gathering of signatures, the leaders of the 2021-22 Student Government Association at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), Marquinn Booker (president), Caitlin Scott (vice president) and Wiston Ocoro (comptroller), are gearing up to have a broad impact this semester. After all, said Booker, “We are selfless individuals; we are here for the student body. We’re not working for our personal pleasure or success but to ultimately build a better campus for the student body.”
Marquinn Booker
A senior pursuing a B.S. in criminal justice, Booker and his fellow leaders started preparing their 100-day plans for 2021-22 this past spring. “[I discussed] with my top people some things we want to see and [how to build an] SGA we think this campus needs.”
The 2021-22 SGA candidates’ focus varied quite a bit, from student mental health to LGBT issues. The foundation of Booker’s campaign was built on “Accountability, Communication, Transparency, Student-led,” completing the A.C.T.S. acronym — and he’s moving ahead with that in mind. “I was talking about the campus and what we could do to make it more memorable, what memories could we create, what’s being talked about by students, but the administration isn’t hearing,” Booker said. “I want the students to see exactly who we in SGA are. Before anything else, I’m a student at Prairie View. I encounter the exact same situations, the same struggles that others on this campus face, whether it involves housing, financial aid, classes or grades.”
Booker, who said he plans to put out a video this year on the subject, hopes to change how students see the SGA. “You don’t have to be real political to be in SGA,” he said. “Being in SGA really just means you’re here to represent what students are asking for. And you’re going to have to be that bridge between the student body and the administration, being neutral but sometimes speaking up when students feel like they’re being neglected.”
Caitlin Scott
In one respect, Scott, a senior education major and Honors Program student, had an easier campaign road: She ran unopposed, which she was told was “unheard of” in SGA history. As head of the legislative branch, Scott will lead the SGA’s most powerful branch as vice president, and she spent the summer completing necessary tasks.
“The work doesn’t start in the fall; it starts in the summer,” she said. “I really did the groundwork, basically created the full schedule for the fall and spring semesters. I made sure everybody in my branch knew their job and position: How to write bills, resolutions and emails properly, and clarifying aspects of the constitution for newcomers to SGA.”
Although she faced no opposition, Scott said she still made campaign promises. “The main thing was that I promised to have an open Senate,” she said. “I plan on keeping the student body updated on all the things happening. I’ll prepare monthly announcements and announce all bills on Twitter.”
Like Scott, Ocoro, who’s also a senior education major, sees keeping students informed at the top of his list. He has pledged to provide clarity and transparency to the process of budgeting.
Wiston Ocoro
“I want to be sure to provide adequate information regarding the annual budget so that both the students and SGA members are fully aware,” he said. “I also want to budget for the better, meaning that I’ll be meeting with each branch of SGA to discuss plans and strategic management so that we’re actually using the money allotted to us instead of ending with a balance that could have gone to students. It’s important as leaders that we’re using this money for the students.”
Ocoro believes a common problem is a lack of information that filters down to students and student organizations about what SGA can do for them.
“I plan to network,” he said. “I plan on partnering with different student organizations so they know their benefits. A lot of times, smaller organizations don’t necessarily know the process to receive money. I’m going to utilize the president’s roundtable, and I’ll host a seminar and workshop so they know this amount of money is available to them. I also want to partner with student entrepreneurs and provide them with more opportunities and exposure.”
All three bring varied experience to their roles as SGA senior leaders. Booker is beginning his second year (first full term) in the executive branch, having earlier served as vice president of special events (2020-21), along with Ocoro (2019-20). Ocoro was also a former Panther Aid chair and Mister Sophomore, and he was a part of the Campus Activities Board last year as secretary. Both say they owe their previous roles, including their experiences and the connections they made, to preparing them for the responsibilities they’ll face this year.
Scott took a different path to SGA leadership. “It was never in my plan to be a part of the Student Government Association,” she said. But during Panther Pride in her first summer at PVAMU, future SGA President Princess Ojuolape, then a counselor, told her that based on her participation in the program, she had “no choice but to be in SGA.”
“Ever since, I’ve had a burning passion for it,” Scott said. “It’s interesting the way things worked out. I would have never thought I’d be in this position.”
By Andrew Cohen
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