WILMER JOEL
More than 10 elected student leaders were inducted into the Student Government Association in a ceremony held at the College of the Marshall Islands earlier this month.
The SGA is the recognized student body voice at the college. In the positions of president and vice president, respectively, Marlin Doulatram succeeds Faith Lanwi as president, and Tristan Horiuchi replaces Logan Lelet, who moved to being senator for the Ebeye Distance Center.
Doulatram works alongside four executive members and nine senators in the SGA. The senators represent the three distance learning centers in Jaluit, Wotje, and Ebeye. Other senators represent the adult basic education program, student organizations, the four college majors, and the residence halls.
The SGA induction ceremony served to introduce the new officers and give them a sense of the organization’s history in preparation for the upcoming semester, according to Doulatram, who spoke with the Journal.
“The theme for (this) administration is ‘ekadu mōkajin ak eaetok pelak in’ (haste makes waste),” he said. “Navigators in the olden days used this saying to emphasize the idea that preparation is key to a long journey across the ocean, but preparation also takes time. Quick and last minute preparations can result in a long drift out at sea.”
In reference to the proverb, he stated that it is the duty of the student leaders to organize the year’s exciting events and aid in fostering a positive environment for the student body. “We must always think about the preparations prior to the activity, which means we must also stand together as a team to achieve the best possible results.”