Damian Breaux may be the shortest student at Nicholls, but the 4-foot-2 1/2-inch athletic training sophomore from Lockport will hold the highest student position on campus after this semester. The Student Government Association this week named Breaux, a Judicial Board member, as its president-elect by acclamation. Breaux, who will replace the graduating Jaret Hubbell on May 15, was awarded the position after he applied unopposed.

The 20-year-old originally planned to vie for SGA president next year. But when he realized no one had applied for the opening, he filled out the necessary paperwork and passed the SGA constitutional test.

“I’m excited, and I’m looking forward to being president,” Breaux said. “For a while, it was pretty much on pins and needles with the deadline approaching. Someone had to step up to the plate.”

While Breaux enjoys running without opposition and avoiding the stresses of campaigning, he is disappointed that students were unable to vote for him.

“I’ve always loved being part of elections,” Breaux said. “I don’t really like the fact that students could not be more involved with this decision, but I will serve them as best as I can regardless.”

Breaux has been a member of the SGA since the fall of 2002 when he served as a freshman senator. He held the position for a year until he was appointed as a senator for the College of Life Sciences and Technology last fall. Breaux resigned earlier this semester because of a scheduling conflict, but filled a vacant seat on the Judicial Board.

“I feel like I’m ready to be president,” Breaux said. “I’ve been involved with student leadership since I was in sixth grade, and this is just another step.”

As SGA president, Breaux wants to continue promoting diversity on campus and restore a positive reputation to the SGA, which he claims has become negative since two controversial issues occurred during the past two semesters. He also hopes to provide more student services.

His main goal is to establish the House of Student Organizations, a group imitating the U.S. House of Representatives where student leaders from each student organization will meet five times a semester to discuss student life issues.

“It can be a big plus and help increase student involvement on campus,” said Breaux, suggesting that organizations would be able to allocate funds amongst themselves without approval of the Student Senate. “It should create a more cohesive student body.”

Breaux also plans to continue endorsing a fee increase for the SGA. With the extra money, Breaux said the SGA would be able to provide more student services including free use of the SGA copy machine, free advertising in The Nicholls Worth, reduced copy machine prices around campus and more scholarships.

“Right now, our budget is pretty stretched. This would really be beneficial to students,” Breaux said.

Breaux also wants to resurrect the Colonel Xpress program founded by former SGA president Alcie Maxwell in 2002. The program provided dorm students with free bus rides to various places in Thibodaux such as Wal-Mart and Rouse’s.

University administrators stopped the program two weeks after its inception because it did not deal directly with the campus. Breaux hopes to find corporate sponsors to support the service.

He also plans on creating more specific regulations that define and govern the Judicial Board. As of now, Breaux said there are no clear and official policies regarding appeals on student cases.

Breaux, known as “Dee” by his friends, is also involved with a student athletic training program and Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship.

Breaux said he has not thought about possibly running for a second term yet. “We’ll see how this time goes, and then I’ll decide,” he said. “We’re going to take this day by day.