The results of the 2012-13 Student Government Association (SGA) elections have been announced. After weeks of preparation and campaigning, the student body chose the new SGA president, vice-president, treasurer and class presidents.

Amidst a field of qualified candidates, Morgan Lingar ’13 and Kareem Kalil ’13 have been elected SGA president and vice president, respectively. Lingar and Kalil used door-to-door campaigning, debates, fliers, Facebook pages and YouTube videos to convey their messages of further integration of the student body, a safer environment and a healthier social scene to students on the Hill.

Lingar, a women’s, gender and sexuality studies and math double major from Danville, N.H. has served as dorm president and SGA parliamentarian, and competes for the College’s cross country and track teams. Lingar was inspired to run for election after witnessing the successes enacted by past presidents. “I felt that I had the experience and dedication necessary to lead SGA and wanted to use my last year at Colby to give back to the school,” Lingar said.

Kalil, an economics and urban development double major from Southborough, Mass. is a Colby Cares About Kids mentor, Colby Outdoor Outing Trips leader, founder of Students for Education Reform and a member of the College’s basketball team. Kalil attributes his influences for running for vice president to supportive friends and current SGA president, Laura Maloney ’12. “Having a running mate as strong as Morgan was also a key factor in my decision,” Kalil said.

Popular among students was their message of strengthening the College’s relationship with Waterville. “I think strong Colby-Waterville relations are important, and I believe that these can be improved through simple steps like educating students who live off campus about their rights,” Lingar said.

Lingar and Kalil are focused on addressing the College’s current diversity requirements. “I believe the current diversity requirements are tedious, weak, and as a result are leaving some important and dynamic conversations outside of the Colby curriculum when they should be an integral part of it,” Kalil said. Lingar and Kalil hope to instill a multiculturalism requirement that addresses gender, sexuality, race and class.

Also, Lingar and Kalil both encourage participation from the student body. “I want to ensure that every student sees our student government as their voice,” Lingar said. “I want people to know that I want people to talk to me, to tell me what [SGA] could be doing better, to tell me what improvements they would like to see,” Kalil said.

Jean-Jacques Ndayisenga ’13 won the election for SGA treasurer. Ndayisenga, an economics major and administrative science minor from Kigali, Rwanda, has served as dorm president and is the founder of the Campus Clubs Coordination Group.

In addition to distributing the SGA budget effectively, Ndayisenga has several goals he wishes to accomplish. “I hope, through working with different students, student groups and [the] administration, to foster the community towards strong integration between different cultural, regional and religious groups that we have on this campus,” Ndayisenga said.

Like Lingar and Kalil, Ndayisenga realized the need for personal interaction in the campaign process. “I talked to people; I introduced myself to those I did not know, my friends introduced me to their friends; I was positive of my approach,” Ndayisenga said.

Nick Zeller ‘13 and Erika Hinman ‘13, respectively, were chosen as president and vice president for the Class of 2013. For the rising juniors, Cole Yaverbaum ‘14 and Wayne Kim ‘14 will be class president and vice president in the fall, followed by Elliot Marsing ‘14 and Kelly Ling ‘14 in the spring. Additionally, the Class of 2015 voted Joseph Whitfield ‘15 and Justin Deckert ‘15 as their president and vice president, respectively.