A Century+ of SGA Service at the College

Written by: Cassandra Pingree Foster, Director of Special Projects

You can call it a time-honored tradition since 1922: the Student Government Association (SGA) at the College of Charleston. To commemorate the 100+ years at the College, Student Affairs is planning a reunion for SGA members as part of Homecoming Week in November 2025. In anticipation of the reunion, Student Affairs is catching up with past-SGA presidents to relive their undergraduate experiences and how those have shaped their careers and post-grad pursuits.

SGA members are elected, and they meet regularly to talk about and vote on important bills and resolutions that affect Student Life at the College. They distribute funds to more than 170 student organizations, develop educational events, and act as a bridge between the administration and the students. There are anywhere from 40-50 students who serve on SGA each academic year.

SGA Service

Some students know they want to be a part of SGA even before they begin their first class at the College. For instance, Nicholas Glover (’05 alumnus, SGA President 2003-04), served in leadership roles at his high school, Dutch Fork in Irmo, SC. As a high schooler, he attended a student council retreat hosted at the College of Charleston, and he was inspired after listening to the welcome remarks from then-SGA President Rhodes Bailey (’03 alumnus, SGA President 2001-02). “Whatever that guy does, I want to do that,” Glover recalled. He made a point to connect with Bailey at that retreat and knew that the College, and SGA, specifically, would be his community. “That first month of being in school where people are jumping in to see what they’re interested in, for me, it was student government,” he said.

For Alexandra Helfgott (’19 alumna, 2017-18 SGA President), the SGA moments she holds close are the times of togetherness: “It’s the little, tiny moments, like sitting in the actual senate meetings [with my peers] and going out during campaign season and hanging banners. It’s those smaller moments where you could see it [SGA] all working as a well-oiled machine.” Helfgott also talked about the unique relationship that SGA members have in working with the administration at the College of Charleston. The time the administration would give to SGA is remarkable, she said, adding: “I could see more clearly what the administration was doing to make the College function on a day-to-day basis.”

Choosing to join SGA as a team was a motivation for Zach Sturman (’17 alumnus, SGA President 2015-16), who shared that he ran for SGA executive leadership with his best friend, Michael Faikes (’17 alumnus, SGA President 2016-17). He talked about the relationships he developed with the students he worked in SGA with, saying, “Those are friendships I still treasure today.”

Innovative Ideas

The time and effort it takes to get an idea to become an action is hard to measure. And, as Glover described, “We [SGA members] took it seriously, the ability to help our classmates and represent the College. It demands that you interact with your neighbors and the people around you.” Here is a snapshot of what they achieved with their peers —

Glover delivered SGA’s first “State of the Student Government Address” in Randolph Hall and President Leo I. Higdon, Jr., attended. Glover developed the logo for the year when SGA was founded and it featured a clock in the background of Randolph Hall. “What it meant to be a part of that legacy, and dive deeper into the history, and then provide a nugget with design work–it was super fun,” he said.

Another big moment during Glover’s term has stood the test of time. SGA made the move from paper voting for candidates to online voting. “The administration didn’t fight me on that,” he laughed.

Helfgott remembered what needed to be done to achieve the desired results for the student body. She shared a little wisdom for current SGA members: “Do you research when you are pursuing initiatives. Have the appropriate conversations, even if that means many conversations.” These exchanges produced major sustainability wins during her term, such as: 1) developing a pilot program with Aramark on-campus catering to distribute excess food from catered events; and 2) spearheading the “take back the tap” initiative where campus reduced single-use plastic water bottles, as well as improved access to water fountain and refill stations. Other measures included adding free period products in on-campus bathrooms; establishing CARTA bus route to the grocery store; and securing free, and discounted taxi rides.

During Sturman’s term, he made the move to change how SGA was organized. Prior to his term, SGA was committee-based, and he made it initiative-based. That transition allowed SGA leaders to have data-driven projects that they could see through with tangible results. Another pride point for Sturman was the creation of “Maroon Meals”. This initiative was breakfast-based, allowing the Cougar Card meal swipes to be used at Einstein Bagels and not just the Liberty Street Cafeteria. Sturman said that a lot of students were skipping breakfast altogether because they didn’t live close to the one breakfast option. Adding the meal swipe at Einsteins was difference-maker for many students.

Today’s Pursuits

Glover (bachelor’s degree in political science; MBA, Saint Leo University) serves on the U.S. leadership team of the Environmental Defense Fund. He leads a large team from all across the country with the goal of “trying to help our neighbors live a healthier life.” Additionally, Glover serves on the Student Affairs Board of Advocates at the College of Charleston as well as the College’s Foundation Board, and other nonprofit and for-profit boards. And, his latest work project is a fun one – opening a new restaurant with his wife, Caitlin, called Island Fin Poké in Tampa, Florida.

Helfgott (bachelor’s degrees in political science & Spanish; Fulbright García Robles English Teaching Assistant in Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico) has just completed her first semester pursuing her master’s degree in Public Policy and Global Affairs, Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University. She credits her experience in SGA for sparking her interest in this area of study. “Gathering data about a problem and the ways we can fix it,” she said is what she enjoys most. “SGA was one of the first opportunities and hands-on experience to learn the ropes if you want to have a public service career.”

Like Helfgott, Sturman (bachelor’s degrees in political science & Spanish; J.D. and PhD in law and economics, Vanderbilt University) enjoys problem-solving and communication, skills they honed as SGA leaders. He is now an Assistant Professor, Public Health in the Health Economics & Policy Program at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.