Harun Pacavar, a senior political science major, is the president of the Student Government Association (SGA) at Shippensburg University for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Pacavar became involved in Shippensburg University’s SGA as a freshman and gradually became more invested as time progressed. In the spring semester of 2023, he became the Vice President of External Affairs and discovered he wanted to continue his involvement as president in the following semester. 

“I always like to face new challenges,” Pacavar said. 

Pacavar expressed a personal interest in advocating for better mental health assistance on campus. He discussed that when he initially ran for a position in SGA as a freshman, he heard a lot of students had issues getting access to these kinds of resources on campus. 

“For me, mental health is something that is frequently looked past,” Pacavar said. “It is something I want to focus on to make sure students have access to on campus.”

This coming academic year, Pacavar is looking to find ways to expand hours and better programs for more students to receive the help they need with mental health. 

“Right now, the biggest focus is on restructuring the organization as a whole,” Pacavar said. 

Last academic year, SGA had some issues with the structure of their organization coming loose as members left. To combat this, Pacavar said the Executive Leadership Committee has worked to reword their constitution to adjust wording to make requirements clearer. 

Another shift Pacavar said SGA would be making is to the structure of their bi-weekly public meetings. He referred to these events as being more like “town halls” – a proposal made my Kennedy Holt, SGA vice president of internal affairs – in the sense that students would have time to voice their concerns at meetings. He wants the student body to feel more included in the meetings and less like bystanders when it comes to discussing the issues impacting themselves. 

Pacavar also acknowledged that with the incoming freshmen there will be a shift in what concerns the student body has about student life. He is prepared to find ways to help by listening and communicating, specifically at the public meetings and through campus-wide emails. 

Going into the 2023-2024 academic year, SGA has quite a few openings for new students to get involved. Particularly, the Executive Leadership Committee which includes the president and the four vice presidents of committees, still needs a student to step up for the roles of Vice President of Finance and Vice President of External Affairs. 

“We are doing our due diligence, specifically for the VP of Finance, to find a qualified person to fill that role,” Pacavar said. Until a student is nominated, the Executive Leadership Committee will be filling in the gaps.

In terms of qualifications for a position within SGA, Pacavar encourages all students to run in the coming election. “Any position can be learned,” Pacavar said, as he noted that like any club on campus, SGA is meant for students to grow. 

Pacavar cited integrity and responsibility to be attributes he valued in a candidate. Roles within SGA require persons who want to take on leadership within their community, so having these qualities help a candidate stay strong, according to Pacavar. 

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