Juniors Emma Berges and Maggie Devitt are committed to enhance, serve and unite the Saint Mary’s community.
Berges and Devitt are one of three duos that students will have the option to vote for as Saint Mary’s student body president and vice president for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Berges is a communications studies major with minors in PR and advertising who hails from Fairfield, Connecticut. On campus she currently serves as the co-chair of the Student Government Association’s (SGA) marketing and social media committee.
Devitt is a speech language pathology major with a gerontology minor from LaGrange, Illinois. She currently serves as SGA’s social life co-chair.
Both women also have tri-campus collaboration experience through serving on Dance Marathon.
If elected, the pair will work to improve transparency and communication between students and administration, Berges said.
“I think it’s been going very well since [College President] Katie Conboy got here,” she said. “We think a lot of students really like the improvements they’re seeing, but we understand that there’s always room for improvement and we just want to keep that conversation going.”
Berges and Devitt emphasized their intent to not only be the voice of the student body but also to be active listeners.
“[Through] not waiting for girls to come to us, but us going to them,” Devitt said. “I think that’s our first [action item] and that will be the easiest but the best.”
By utilizing open communication and active listening between students and administrators, Berges and Devitt hope to enact some of their key platform points, which include the improvement of mental health resources by enhancing SMC Care — a 24-hour telehealth service launched earlier this year — establishing more grief and anxiety groups and infusing social and emotional connectivity.
Another key element of their platform is the expansion of women’s health advocacy at the College.
“I mean we go to an all women’s college, and I feel women’s health is not talked about enough,” Berges said.
They hope to expand on breast self-examination information sheets in dorm showers, knowledge of the on-campus gynecologist, host guest speakers and establish support groups to open the conversation more, Berges said.
Berges and Devitt emphasized their desire for Saint Mary’s students to find their place in the greater tri-campus community.
“We recognize that there is a tri-campus and a lot of good things come from it, like doing combined clubs and activities, but we also just want to make sure the identity of Saint Mary’s stays positive,” Berges said.
Devitt loves being part of the tri-campus community, she said.
“Sometimes I think the tri-campus community overshadows the one University, and sometimes our big one College overshadows being part of the tri-campus community,” Devitt said. “And I think sometimes we don’t fully use those opportunities given to us. So I think we could really emphasize both.”
If elected, Berges and Devitt plan to use their passion for the College and SGA to amplify all student voices.
“Ever since our first years, we have looked up to SGA and eventually joined to be those people for others and to include others in the campus dialogue,” Berges said.
Student Government Association tickets: Emma Berges and Maggie Devitt
Courtesy of Emma Berges and Maggie Devitt
Emma Berges and Maggie Devitt are running for SGA president and vice president, respectively, for the 2021-2022 term.
