Brown takes oath of office

President-elect Nate Brown took an oath of office Wednesday at the Undergraduate Student Government meeting, but some senators are concerned about the implications of his presidency. "The most important sentence of my presidency comes right now," Brown said. "I am not an enemy."

Brown, whose presidential duties begin May 13, has been trying to improve USG all semester and has been met with much opposition from senators. In February, he created a new government designed to replace it, and in April he ran a campaign based on "USG sucks; let's change it." Some senators have expressed concerns about making an opponent of the organization its top executive officer. Senator TyJuan Cratic, fresh off defeat in the presidential election, is concerned about Brown's agenda, he said.

"I can't wait to see what happens next year," Cratic said. "Next year is going to be a very trying year for student government." There are two paths student government could take in the fall, Cratic said. "The president could either work with the senate, and we'll have some really great issues," Cratic said. "Or the president can work against the senate." In Brown's speech Wednesday, he indicated he was willing to cooperate with the legislative branch.

"You are not my enemy," Brown said. "We are all after one goal: a perfect student government." Ed Ford, who has been a part of student government for 10 years, considers this year's senate to be very strong, and he said it would continue to get stronger if experienced senators return next year.

Cratic will not be returning to the senate next year, but he will be starting a Registered Student Organization to pursue the goals set forth by his presidential platform. The group will be named after the ticket he ran on - the Liberty Party. "The Liberty Party will be an organization composed of students that will push a pro-student agenda and work with the student senate," reads the group's mission statement.

There are two main issues it will tackle, Cratic said: a textbook rental plan for general education classes and a 24-hour computer lab. When he campaigned for president, Cratic was adamant about his dedication to USG and guaranteed a return to the senate, but after his defeat, he said he could work more effectively outside the organization. After Brown proposed his new government in February, he left USG saying he also could work more effectively outside the organization.

In Brown's speech, he made it clear he has changed his tune. "I do not agree with every USG view, as you do not agree with all of my ideas," Brown said. "We must sit together and finally solve these problems." There are still voices on the senate questioning Brown's intentions. Alden Mulabdic, a former senator who will return to office in the fall, said Brown may still have his new government at heart.

A gridlock between the executive branch and the legislature would mean a year of little to no productivity and would prove what Brown has been saying all year - USG should be replaced.

"The unfortunate thing is the senate may fall into the economy of it's us versus him," Mulabdic said. "And in the end, that may be in the interest of the executive." As Brown concluded his speech, he made it clear he would not put a personal agenda ahead of students' needs. "Student government, in truth, isn't about me and it isn't about you," Brown said. "Student government is about the students."