The votes have been counted and the results are in: we have officially introduced our new MSG Executive Board for the 2021- 2022 academic year. With seniors leaving and new students entering, these new members are more than excited to give students a variety of fun opportunities every weekend they spend on campus.

Nick Brodfuehrer will serve as MSG President, with Doug Wilsch as MSG Vice President and Megan Krull as MSG Treasurer. Carissa Budday will serve as Public Relations Coordinator, Kailey Pisani will return to her position as Events Coordinator while Joey Franz and Janiece Withers will work hand-in-hand as the MAC/SAC Chairs.

A junior Intelligence Studies and Political Science double major, Brodfuehrer has big plans for the future.

“I am very excited to embark on a new chapter in Mercyhurst history,” Brodfuehrer said.

“As I begin my time as president, we also will be welcoming a new president of the university and many new members into our Mercyhurst family, such as new staff, faculty and more importantly, the class of 2025. Our incoming freshman class will be here until right before the cusp of Mercyhurst’s centennial. That is a huge responsibility as planning into that major year begins.”

Brodfuehrer also hopes that Mercyhurst will be able to plan events in a more normal setting as the COVID pandemic subsides.

“In terms of plans for the future of MSG, I am looking forward to Mercyhurst embracing this new normal post COVID-19 life,” he said. “Our lives will undoubtedly be changed forever, as will the way activities and events are held within a university. I look forward to when we can return to events such as Hurst Day, Spring Fest and Mass of the Holy Spirit, among many other traditions we hold so near to our hearts. I also look forward to working with our new University President as we tackle some of what 2021-2022 has in store for us. As your President, I will defend the values of Mercyhurst University, as we enter an important transitional period. Embedded in our Core Values is the importance of service. All students become Ambassadors of Service while enrolled here. As the new President of the Mercyhurst Student Government, I will continue to embrace these Core Values, just as the Sisters of Mercy desire.”

Wilsch, a junior Intelligence Studies and International Relations double major, has similar aspirations.

“As VP, I am responsible for ensuring the business and management of the senate is being done efficiently while caring out tasks the President has set for me as well,” said Wilsch. “My plans for MSG this year are to continue updating COVID policies on campus and exploring new opportunities in a post-pandemic world to better school morale.”

Junior Accounting and Human Resource Management double major, Krull is just as excited as the rest of the board to get started.

“I am most excited to learn more about the student body and be a part of executive board,” said Krull. “My plans are to work alongside the e-board to create better ways to get the student body more spirit wear, be more efficient with our expenses and to focus more on sustainability.”

Sophomore Fashion Merchandising major, Budday has big plans to get everyone involved in new MSG and MAC/SAC activities by means of spreading the word.

“Personally, I am most excited to be able to share a lot more events and pop up to students on social media as we expand our in-person events for next year,” Budday said. “I am also excited to work with everyone on our executive board. I feel like we have a really diversified group of students with a lot of different backgrounds and unique ideas as to what we want to do next year.”

Additionally, Budday hopes that the hard work the new e-board puts in next year will pay off. “One of my biggest plans for MSG and MAC/SAC is sharing a lot more about what our sena[1]tors and programmers are doing on campus,” she said. “We are the voice of the student body and I think it is important we start spotlighting all the hard work and effort everyone is putting in behind the scenes to help improve Mercyhurst’s colleges, clubs and student life.”

Sophomore Hospitality Management major, Pisani, wishes to bring the best and most exciting events students have seen in a long time.

“I am most excited to host bigger events in line with COVID-19 restrictions. I hope to get back to holding outdoor activities with catering, giveaways and activities that bring us all together as the Hurst community we know and love,” Pisani said.

Another role that Pisani has taken on is that of the chair of the Mission and Sustainability Committee, and she hopes to implement that into future MSG and MAS/SAC events.

“My plans for our MSG future are to continue improving our sustainable habits, whether that be through giving out reusable cutlery sets, tumblers, shirts made from recyclable materials, etc.,” said Pisani. “We are a green university, and we, as students, have a responsibility to act accordingly. MSG can be that role model and emphasize the importance of these environmentally friendly actions.”

Sophomore Communication and Media major, Franz already has plans lined up for how he will help lead MAC/SAC next year.

“One thing that I am most excited about is leading a team of people to plan and create fun and exciting events for students on campus,” said Franz. “One of my future plans for MAC/SAC is having bigger and more in person events if the state of the world allows us to do so.”

Junior Fashion Merchandising major, Withers is also excited to work alongside Franz and make future MAC/SAC events as exciting and enjoyable as possible.

“What excites me the most about this position, is being able to continue to provide students on campus with fun and COVID safe weekend activities to relieve the stress from schoolwork and what’s going on outside of our gates,” said Withers. “When I see the future events on campus, I see a larger variety of students enjoying the weekly events. It’s very important to me that all students feel represented and included.”

If you see any of our new Executive Board members around campus, be sure to give them a word of congratulations! They are all thrilled to assume their new positions and are looking forward to giving Mercyhurst a great set of MSG and MAC/SAC events next year.