“Originally, I wasn’t supposed to become SAFAC Chair until next year in the fall,” said Ezekiel Thompson. “However, due to the fact of this last week’s Student Senate meeting with Allie Gaylord being removed as chair. We took a vote on it and they would like me to step in her place.”

Thompson is a junior Chemistry Education major, and minoring in physics. He is a current member of the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee (SAFAC).

The SAFAC Chair has a very important role on campus. In addition to their responsibilities within SAFAC, the Chair is a spokesperson for SAFAC during Student Senate meetings.

“The SAFAC Chair will go every week to report on what SAFAC discussed the previous week, and what’s coming up,” said Thompson.

The main duties of the Chair are within SAFAC itself. As a guide for SAFAC, the Chair does have voting rights but most SAFAC chairs choose to abstain unless of a tie. It is required of the Chair to have been on the committee at least one semester before they can be elected into the position by other SAFAC members.

“We need you to have the experience and understanding of things before you become the Chair,” said Thompson. “Generally, if you are the Chair, you will be the Chair at least for a full year. There is a lot that goes on throughout the year. The fall semester there isn’t too much, but within the spring semester we have all our hearings and deliberations.”

The proposals for club budgets are due Feb. 26. The hearings and deliberations will be held in March.

Thompson’s involvement with SAFAC goes back to his sophomore year.

“My RA wanted me to become part of SAC [Student Activities Committee], because we didn’t have a representative,” said Thompson. “So, I joined SAC and ended up becoming an executive on SAC. Our Treasurer at the time, Marissa Winters, was the SAFAC Chair and she wanted me to join SAFAC, and me not having a good reason to say no, I decided to join. I’ve always been good with numbers. I’ve enjoyed budgeting and it seemed like something that could be fun.

“I didn’t officially join or contribute much to the meetings that first year, because there was a lot going on. I ended up going to the meetings, providing an opinion and didn’t do much voting because I wasn’t an official member. And then starting this school year I was ‘officially’ elected in by [Student] Senate.”

Thompson is also the treasurer of SAC, one of the officers for the campus pep band, and a member of the Dungeons and Dragons club. He also is well known around campus because of his involvement in many clubs.

SAFAC allows Thompson to expand his involvement and keeps him educated about what is going on around campus.

“We see every club on campus and we play an active role in every club on campus without being a part of each club,” said Thompson. “So, we kind of get to know everybody and then we also get to know more of what’s going on in student government and what’s happening on campus.”

Thompson hopes to accomplish and continue on what Allie Gaylord, the previous SAFAC Chair, was doing and maintain what SAFAC stands for while also ensuring that everything stays fair and equal between clubs.

“Allie was doing a really good job and I hope to carry on her legacy,” said Thompson.

Student Senate to appointed Thompson as SAFAC Chair at the special meeting that took place after the public Student Senate meeting on Feb. 26.