{"id":384161,"date":"2026-08-29T02:56:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T02:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/384161\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T02:56:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T02:56:50","slug":"usf-student-government-members-constituents-share-plans-and-hopes-for-upcoming-school-year-after-inauguration-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/384161\/","title":{"rendered":"USF Student Government members, constituents share plans and hopes for upcoming school year after inauguration ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>Several student council members were sworn in during their Week of Welcome inauguration ceremony. ORACLE PHOTO \/ ZAHIR NELSON<\/p>\n

The University of South Florida\u2019s Student Government officially marked the beginning of the 2026\u20132027 academic term with its inauguration ceremony on August 24 as part of Week of Welcome.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The ceremony established the newly elected members by swearing them in, according to Student Government\u2019s BullsConnect<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The ceremony brought together newly elected executive leaders, senators, and campus council members alongside their supporters, friends, and family.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the ceremony, university leadership reminded the new SG leaders about their main priority: listening to the student body.\u00a0<\/p>\n

President Moez Limayem said in his speech that the new student leaders should listen to their constituents before making major policy changes.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen first, strengthen your teams,\u201d Limayem said. \u201cWe can delegate authority, but we can never delegate responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually in previous years, the inauguration has been over the summer or at the end of the spring,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cThis year, we really wanted to include first-time-in-college students and make it a big event\u2026 So this is the first time that has happened in recent history.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am looking forward to standing up for these students who maybe aren\u2019t in the room, students who are just looking to better themselves and find resources,\u201d Riley said. \u201cWe want to be a voice for these students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: USF SG releases uncertified 2026 general election results<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Riley said that for this year Student Government is working on new initiatives, such as a potential \u201cWear Green Wednesday\u201d campaign that aims to increase USF spirit throughout campus, as well as new golf cart safety measures.<\/p>\n

She also discussed plans to launch a First-Year Leadership Council<\/a> to introduce incoming freshmen to student leadership roles.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to reforming the way the Senate works, making sure that we\u2019re more of a professional body and more accessible to the student body whenever students have any issues,\u201d Manohar said.<\/p>\n

Ava Unutoa, a junior communications major was also inaugurated as the Tampa Governor alongside Brooks Cornelison, a sophomore communications major as the Lieutenant Governor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unutoa noted that while leadership teams began planning months ago, the ceremony provided a necessary official launch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis inauguration means a lot to me,\u201d Unutoa said. \u201cWe did already kind of start working over the summer, but I think that this is just something really special and traditional\u2026 and a great way to kick off the school year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cornelison said that the inauguration also serves as a vital starting point to \u201cget the ball rolling with everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the ceremonial milestone, Unutoa highlighted the turnout and preparation from student organizers that brought the event together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a lot of conversation and planning\u2026 throughout the summer, so it\u2019s really great to see it all in person and up and running,\u201d Unutoa said, expressing appreciation for the team that set up the venue and the supporters who attended.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead at the upcoming legislative term, Unutoa acknowledged the reality of setting long-term goals within a single-year administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t accomplish everything in one year, but to me, I\u2019m just looking for that little bit of success and even just getting something started,\u201d Unutoa said, adding that the priority remains addressing student requests and needs in collaboration with university administration.<\/p>\n

Related: USF SG presidential debate covers budget cuts, transparency and more<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

For general attendees and student organization members, the evening was an opportunity to connect with student leadership.<\/p>\n

Sophomore health science major Kyleigh Coleman is involved in the Delta Gamma<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Coleman specifically highlighted Unutoa\u2019s work to re-engage sororities and fraternities across campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unutoa is also involved<\/a> in the Delta Gamma sorority, and Cornelison is a member of<\/a> the Pi Kappa Alpha<\/a> fraternity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI really like how Unutoa is getting Greek life involved with things on campus,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cI feel like [Greek life was] slowly getting distant \u2026 so I feel like bringing us all back together and getting us more involved is really important as we try and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shea Jones, a senior marketing major and member of Delta Gamma, said the event offered encouraging representation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot to me, honestly, just seeing [Unutoa] in position,\u201d Jones said in regards to Unutoa becoming the Governor. \u201cWe\u2019re just all here to support her and support everybody going up there tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also said how it was good to see the sororities on campus be included in the ceremony.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This addition of Greek life to the inauguration helped the bonds between student government and the sisterhood and brotherhoods on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really great to see the love that Greek life gives back to USF and vice versa. I think we\u2019re going to have a lot of love this year with everybody and our communities, more joining together.\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n

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