Several student council members were sworn in during their Week of Welcome inauguration ceremony. ORACLE PHOTO / ZAHIR NELSON

The University of South Florida’s Student Government officially marked the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic term with its inauguration ceremony on August 24 as part of Week of Welcome. 

The ceremony established the newly elected members by swearing them in, according to Student Government’s BullsConnect.

The ceremony brought together newly elected executive leaders, senators, and campus council members alongside their supporters, friends, and family. 

During the ceremony, university leadership reminded the new SG leaders about their main priority: listening to the student body. 

President Moez Limayem said in his speech that the new student leaders should listen to their constituents before making major policy changes.

“Listen first, strengthen your teams,” Limayem said. “We can delegate authority, but we can never delegate responsibility.”

Student body President Hunter Rabinowitz, a junior marketing major, said holding the ceremony on the first day of school was an intentional decision to engage first-time-in-college students.

Rabinowitz said that while SG officers were technically sworn in during the summer of this year, this event served as the official public celebration in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom.

“Usually in previous years, the inauguration has been over the summer or at the end of the spring,” Rabinowitz said. “This year, we really wanted to include first-time-in-college students and make it a big event… So this is the first time that has happened in recent history.”

Student Body Vice President Mia Riley said the inauguration gave the student body an inside look at the work the administration has put in since May.

“I am looking forward to standing up for these students who maybe aren’t in the room, students who are just looking to better themselves and find resources,” Riley said. “We want to be a voice for these students.”

Related: USF SG releases uncertified 2026 general election results 

Riley said that for this year Student Government is working on new initiatives, such as a potential “Wear Green Wednesday” campaign that aims to increase USF spirit throughout campus, as well as new golf cart safety measures.

She also discussed plans to launch a First-Year Leadership Council to introduce incoming freshmen to student leadership roles.

Rabinowitz said that Student Government leadership had already been collaborating with university officials, like the Associate Vice President for Student Success, Allison Crume, over the summer on campus matters, including organizing Week of Welcome events.

Student Senate President Arjun Manohar, a public health graduate student, said that his primary focus for the term is reforming Senate operations to improve transparency by having more one-on-one interactions with the student body.

“I’m looking forward to reforming the way the Senate works, making sure that we’re more of a professional body and more accessible to the student body whenever students have any issues,” Manohar said.

Ava Unutoa, a junior communications major was also inaugurated as the Tampa Governor alongside Brooks Cornelison, a sophomore communications major as the Lieutenant Governor. 

Unutoa noted that while leadership teams began planning months ago, the ceremony provided a necessary official launch.

“This inauguration means a lot to me,” Unutoa said. “We did already kind of start working over the summer, but I think that this is just something really special and traditional… and a great way to kick off the school year.”

Cornelison said that the inauguration also serves as a vital starting point to “get the ball rolling with everything.”

Beyond the ceremonial milestone, Unutoa highlighted the turnout and preparation from student organizers that brought the event together.

“We had a lot of conversation and planning… throughout the summer, so it’s really great to see it all in person and up and running,” Unutoa said, expressing appreciation for the team that set up the venue and the supporters who attended.

Looking ahead at the upcoming legislative term, Unutoa acknowledged the reality of setting long-term goals within a single-year administration.

“You can’t accomplish everything in one year, but to me, I’m just looking for that little bit of success and even just getting something started,” Unutoa said, adding that the priority remains addressing student requests and needs in collaboration with university administration.

Related: USF SG presidential debate covers budget cuts, transparency and more 

For general attendees and student organization members, the evening was an opportunity to connect with student leadership.

Sophomore health science major Kyleigh Coleman is involved in the Delta Gamma sorority, and she said that she hopes the new administration bridges the gap between student government and campus organizations through adding Greek life to more student events.

Coleman specifically highlighted Unutoa’s work to re-engage sororities and fraternities across campus. 

Unutoa is also involved in the Delta Gamma sorority, and Cornelison is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. 

“I really like how Unutoa is getting Greek life involved with things on campus,” Coleman said. “I feel like [Greek life was] slowly getting distant … so I feel like bringing us all back together and getting us more involved is really important as we try and grow.”

Shea Jones, a senior marketing major and member of Delta Gamma, said the event offered encouraging representation.

“It means a lot to me, honestly, just seeing [Unutoa] in position,” Jones said in regards to Unutoa becoming the Governor. “We’re just all here to support her and support everybody going up there tonight.”

She also said how it was good to see the sororities on campus be included in the ceremony. 

This addition of Greek life to the inauguration helped the bonds between student government and the sisterhood and brotherhoods on campus.

“It’s really great to see the love that Greek life gives back to USF and vice versa. I think we’re going to have a lot of love this year with everybody and our communities, more joining together.” Jones said.