Student Government Association has a new president and this senior kinesiology major has goals to get students more involved in campus-related events.

Anthony Gallina, 22, said his chief priorities are to expand parking.

“The main goal of our association is to take the concerns of students and to pass them to the faculty,” Gallina said. “We are also trying to get student input and general attention in Student Government.”

Unlike many former SGA presidents, Gallina was never involved with SGA before being elected president.

Through his heavy involvement in Greek Life and being a student ambassador, peer counselor and a manager of rec sports, Gallina said he wanted more of a leadership position.

“I figured running for SGA president was a perfect challenge to prepare me for life after college,” he said.

Gallina, who gets a monthly salary of $500, said he wants students to get more involved, but understands why students don’t participate in campus activities.

“It is hard for students to get involved because as a freshman, you can feel overwhelmed with classes and the college social life,” Gallina said. “If a student starts out not being too active as a freshman, there is a good chance they will keep doing what is comfortable to them and not venture out and break free of their comfort zone.”

Gallina is also involved in MSU’s plans for a new parking lot where the Biology House is.

“Everybody knows parking is one of the hot topics on campus,” he said. “In turn, the decision was made to add additional parking so that more off campus student would be able to park and make it to class on time more easily.”

The construction is scheduled to start this semester.

Gallina was also on the committee that viewed the academic appeal statements and the student readmission letters. Academic appeal statements are students’ complaints for unfair grades.

Gallina worked on three such cases and voted whether the complaint was reasonable or not. Readmission letters are sent by students who have been suspended for low GPA.

Gallina helped determine the legibility of about 24 students to reapply to MSU.

The Karum-native is also the vice president of his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE).

Greek Life has been the single greatest influence on my college career,” he said.

Greek life isn’t all about what people see in movies, Gallina said.

Being a member of a fraternity has also helped Gallina master time management.

“Without being able to get a strong hold on time management, there is no way that I would be able to be president of SGA, vice president of TKE, treasurer of Order of Omega, a student ambassador, peer counselor, and manager of rec sports,” he said. “On top of that I am still able to keep up my grades and have a social life.”

Group organizations are one of Gallina’s area of focus.

“We are trying to make group organizations to cooperate,” Gallina said.

Group organizations are one of Gallina’s area of focus.

“We are trying to make group organizations cooperate,” Gallina said.

The SGA president says he believes this will build awareness and get more students involved.

After he graduates, Gallina plans to teach high school basketball, history, or computer science.