The votes are in, and two students from the Mountain State will lead West Virginia Universitys student body.

United Party candidate Jason Parsons, a junior political science major from Seth, will continue serving as Student Government Association president. Tommy Napier, a senior political science and geography double major from Kenova, has been elected vice president.

About 3,200 students voted, said SGA Elections Co-chair Robby Queen, who announced the results late Thursday night (Feb. 28).

It was a spirited race with both tickets offering many ideas and diverse student leadership experience, he said.

Parsons has been a member of the student Board of Governors. He is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and HOBY Alumni Association, and he served a year as a resident assistant at Lyon Tower.

During his time in SGA , Parsons worked with the WVU Police Department on new campus safety initiatives, including new lighting and thePartners for Safetyprogram, which involves student walking patrols on the Downtown Campus.

Under his watch, SGA also worked with city officials to address concerns about substandard housing for off-campus students, established an online syllabus database ( http://syllabus.wvu.edu/ ) and pushed for Mountainlair renovations.

Napier, who previously served on the student Board of Governors, is a member of the Honors College and sits on the University Committee on Student Rights and Responsibilities. He was also a student assistant for New Student Orientation.

During his time on the BOG , he focused on outreach strategies in his role as the boards public relations team liaison and helped develop Student Speak Week. He also addressed international student concerns, continuing the International Students Mentoring Program from the past SGA administration and serving on the search committee for the new director of International Students and Scholars.

Napier has done volunteer work in Spain and Thailand and studied abroad in France.

Parsons said he and Napier plan to focus on seven major areas: wellness, a one-stop shop for student services, the Mountainlair, off-campus living, transportation, civic engagement and student life issues.

We have many challenges ahead of us and many issues to address,Parsons said.We accept the challenge and thank the students for putting their faith and trust in us. We will work to represent the student voice the best we can and deliver the best student government we can. Im honored and humbled by the opportunity to continue giving back to WVU .

Among his administrations ideas are:

  • to create a comprehensive student wellness plan, which would include a Student Wellness Center that would house the Student Health Service, Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services and other departments that address student wellness issues;
  • to create aone-stop shopfor student services, bringing together Student Accounts, Admissions and Records, Financial Aid, Scholars Office, New Student Orientation, Visitors Resource Center and a downtown recreation component in one location;
  • to continue to improve the Mountainlair by adding a bank branch and another nationally known food venue;
  • to continue SGA s work with Sunnyside Up to improve the quality of student housing in Sunnyside;
  • to add more parking pay stations across campus and park-and-ride routes;
  • to create a certificate or minor in service learning and work with the Center for Civic Engagement to streamline efforts for student organizations to find service-learning and volunteer work opportunities;
  • to work with University officials to ensure that the new WVU Child Care Center is affordable and accessible for students;
  • and to increase opportunities for the Greek system.

Fifteen students were elected to the Board of Governors: Nick Fortunato , a junior business and economics major from Wheeling (United Party); Allie France , a sophomore psychology major from Morgantown (United Party); Stephanie Mathias , a junior public relations major from Martinsburg (United Party); Ian McCulloch , a sophomore biology major from Beckley (United Party); Brittany Miller , a junior marketing major from Parkersburg (United Party); Kristen Mitchell , a sophomore public relations major from Charleston (United Party); Tyler Pearson , a junior accounting major from Annandale, Va. (independent); Sarah Perry , a sophomore marketing major from Morgantown (United Party); Jared Ramsey , a sophomore finance major from Morgantown (United Party); Taylor Richmond , a freshman political science major from Beckley (United Party); Erica Rogers , a junior political science major from Weirton (United Party); Nick Seitz , a junior criminology and investigations major from Johnstown, Pa. (United Party); Kristen Thomaselli , a junior public relations major from New Cumberland (United Party); Darren Wyatt , a junior multidisciplinary studies major from Fairfax County, Va. (United Party); and Jason Zuccari , a sophomore multidisciplinary studies major from Mclean, Va. (United Party).

Elected to the Athletic Council were Andrew Donato , a senior secondary education/social studies major from Fairmont (United Party), and Cassie Werner , a junior political science major from Clarksburg (United Party).