Brittni Lipscomb, birth-to-five/early interventionist education junior from Gonzales, replaced Michael Cobb, who was elected Student Government Association vice president in April, as the new SGA vice president on May 22.According to Damian Breaux, SGA president, Cobb resigned because he was unable to meet qualifications set forth in the SGA Constitution Article II, Section 1, B which states that in order to be eligible for vice president a student must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average, and 2.0 semester grade point average, and not be on disciplinary or other university probation at the time of election or appointment and throughout the term of office. Breaux said if Cobb had not resigned, he would have been removed automatically.
“There wouldn’t have been an impeachment process because he didn’t do anything wrong,” Breaux said. “He just didn’t meet the qualifications.”
Cobb said his disqualification is a “wake-up call” for both himself and for fellow students; a reminder that “grades come first.”
“I feel as though I have let down many students, especially the ones who voted for me,” Cobb said.
Breaux said the SGA vice president pro-tempore, Lipscomb, then took the place of Cobb. According to Breaux, the vice president pro-tempore takes the role of vice president if the vice president is unable to attend a meeting or, as in the case with Cobb, unable to remain in office.
“Basically, it’s order of succession,” Breaux said. “If I was to step down, the vice president would take my place, and the vice president pro-tempore would take the place of the vice president.”
Breaux said Lipscomb was elected vice president pro-tempore of the SGA Senate at the last SGA meeting of fall 2003, and because of a lack of senators, the election for a new vice president pro-tempore is postponed until this fall.
Lipscomb said she was on the SGA Senate for a year and served as judiciary chair and finance chair and helped work on the changes made to the SGA election code and several constitutional amendments.
Breaux said, “(Lipscomb) is going to rock, and she’s going to be good. She was one of the last veterans on the Senate, and senators have some big shoes to fill.”
Lipscomb said, “I’m excited. SGA is one of my passions, and I’m familiar with all of the jobs. I’m definitely going to run for (vice president) next term.”
Lipscomb said she has already gotten started with projects for SGA and is currently seeing that all bulletin boards in all buildings are redone and made more user-friendly.
“The problem (between SGA and students) is that students think (SGA) is not listening, but we’re listening,” Lipscomb said. “We’re just not receiving anything, and when we do receive things, they’re complaints. We’re working very hard, and we’re trying to think of all the ways that we can possibly get out there. That’s just a couple of things that I’m working on.”
Lipscomb said she believes manpower is one of the things that the SGA lacks, and the SGA needs people to get involved because it cannot do anything for the students if there are not enough students to help.
“I think that’s one of the things that people aren’t getting,” Lipscomb said. “(Some students) think the SGA isn’t doing anything, but we don’t have the manpower.”
Breaux said everything with the SGA is “pretty much rolling along,” and the transition from Cobb to Lipscomb has been a smooth one.
Breaux said: “Brittni (Lipscomb) is already picking up the ball and rolling.”
Lipscomb said: “I’d like to see students throw away apathy and get involved (with SGA) because there are issues that are very close to home for a lot of these students and (students) don’t realize the power that they have with the administration.”
According to Cobb, he will still be active in the SGA and in “other University committees” through which he will continue to serve students.
