Written by Armone Gates, Campus Life Editor.

A group of freshmen members of the Honors Student Association are expressing disapproval with some aspects of the organization and feel their voices are not being heard.

In the beginning of spring semester, freshman member John-Michael Allen resigned from the Honors Student Association due to differences with the executive board of HSA, which is made up of student representatives.

HSA is an organization under the Honors College whose goal is to serve the community and members in a variety of different activities, community service projects and conferences that shape students into growing successful within their field of study.

Allen, a political science major, campaigned in the fall for the position of freshman representative.

Once elected, he began to take on the responsibility of being the front person for the class of 2028 and helped to voice their opinions and concerns within the organization.

In the fall, everything began to change as Allen’s leadership tactics were questioned by the board.

Members of the board felt that Allen was overstepping his bounds and making false promises to not only his executive board members, but also his class.

At this point, Allen chose to resign from his position.

“There have been incidents and challenges that have altered the course of my leadership experience and have impacted the goal of my campaign promises,” Allen wrote in his resignation letter. “However, because of a lack of support, validation, and simple care for the freshman’s ideals and concerns for the organization, unity and togetherness within the association have only diminished.”

Allen explained everything that led up to his resignation in the HSA program.

“There were a lot of complicated instances that happened that led up to me wanting to resign,” said Allen. “Many freshmen felt that their ideas for the organization or complaints that they had with executive members about the work going on within the association” weren’t being heard.

Allen added that at one point the executive board threatened to remove him and the other freshman representative, Cason Zachary.

The executive board of HSA declined to comment on this article. Dean Michael Savoie of HSA and other staff members also declined to comment.

Many freshmen from HSA have voiced their opinions and statements about the whole ordeal.

Former HSA member Mandi Gillis, who resigned from the program in response to these developments, discussed the situation.

“From my point of view our freshman rep, the one who resigned, stepped down because it was in his best interest and it was the fairest option within a situation that had been unfair from the start, ” said Gillis.

Gillis said that the executive board added a second freshmen representative without holding an election, something she thought was unfair.

Gillis said the board treated the freshmen reps poorly. She said the reps reported complaints from the freshmen at the board’s weekly meetings.

“Through reasons that I am not sure I still quite understand, this led our lovely president and vice-president to, for lack of a better phrase, get butthurt,” said Gillis.

Freshman Allison Rooker also had complaints.

“Throughout this year the freshmen have not been accepted with open arms, as they preach, ” said Rooker. “Time and time again, the executive board has gone back on their word, made retaliatory judgments that impacted the entirety of the organization, and furthered the class rift.”

Rooker said since Allen’s resignation, the board has taken action against some freshmen.

“The have removed all members who have not fulfilled their event quotas or paid dues, which they have not done in years,” she said. “Also, to my knowledge, they have not worked through many of the concerns of the freshmen.”

Photo by Ibec Francis, Photo Editor