Los Angeles, CA – At the December 3rd meeting of the USG Senate, Chief Justice Susanna Andryan inaugurated Brianna Sanchez as President, Dane Sprague as Vice President, and Jad Kilani and Sydney White as Senators. Elija Barnes assumed his role as Speaker of the Senate.
President Brianna Sanchez is a senior majoring in legal studies from Ojai, California. Prior to serving as President, President Sanchez served alongside former President Bryan Fernandez as his Vice President. She assumed the office in accordance with Article II.C.4. of the USG Constitution.
“As we transition in leadership, I want to reaffirm our team’s commitment to the USG mission, with a strong focus on advocacy, representation, and programming to support and engage the student body,” shared President Sanchez. “We will ensure our initiatives thrive and continue to effectively serve our students during this period of change. With an emphasis on continuity and progress, our executive cabinet is ready for a productive semester ahead. I am excited about the future and grateful for the student body’s trust as we work together toward greater achievements.”
Vice President Dane Sprague is a junior triple majoring in Economics, Cognitive Science, and Philosophy from Fullerton, California. Before his inauguration as Vice President, VP Sprague served as a Senator, working on administrative tasks and assisting his colleagues in the External Affairs Committee.
Vice President Sprague commented, “I’m honored to be selected to serve in this position, especially for the opportunity to work alongside President Sanchez. She has my full confidence, and I’m excited to get started.”
Speaker of the Senate Elija Barnes is a third-year Mechanical Engineering major from Chicago, Illinois. This is his first year in USG, and he served as a Senator this fall, working on the Sustainability & Campus Infrastructure Committee. In his USG tenure so far, he’s spearheaded and assisted on projects such as the “Involvement Fair Restructuring Project” to bring more visibility to RSOs and enhance the welcome back experience, the “College Essentials Program” to make essential items to students in need, and the “Trojan Staff Give Back Event” aimed to celebrate staff on campus.
“As Speaker, I truly want to bring unity to the 144th Senate class, a Senate class that I have been a part of as Senator thus far,” said Speaker Barnes. “I’m so excited to be in this position and uplift the voices and work that all 11 Senators are and will be doing through the end of this academic year. I have full confidence in each of our abilities to create real change and can’t wait for the student body to see what comes next!”
Senator Jad Kilani is a freshman from Beirut, Lebanon majoring in Political Science and minoring in legal studies. He was a runner-up for a Senate seat during the September Special elections, and he now assumes one of the seats vacated by Sprague and Barnes’ transitions.
Senator Kilani shared, “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as a senator and am looking forward to representing the student body and collaborating with other USG officials. As the only freshman senator, I am committed to amplifying the voices of my fellow classmates and upholding my campaign promises, which focus on transparency, collaboration, and representation. I have already reached out to other senators to begin working on initiatives that benefit our community, and I’m eager to hear from students to guide my efforts moving forward!”
Finally, Senator Sydney White is a junior studying Film & TV Production from Atlanta, Georgia. Last school year, Senator White served as Executive Aide to former Chief Diversity Officer Kaleb Stephens. In her role, she assisted advocacy liaisons on campus and learned about various community needs within each project she worked on. Senator White fills the other seat vacated by Sprague and Barnes’ transitions.
“I am extremely excited to be taking on this role,” said Senator White. “I know the senators this term are passionate and serious about improving campus, and I’m looking forward to jumping on board! With my time here, I plan on implementing my platform of unity, access, and community engagement on campus as much as I can as senator!”