New Student Body Officers Take Oaths

Seasoned veterans introduced new players while saying their goodbyes in the Great Hall.

"What a great way to end your four years at Carolina -- to say without a doubt that you have made this place better," said former Student Body President Brad Matthews.

Matthews said he has heard stories of past presidents who were reluctant to leave the stage and hand over the office to their successor. But for him, this was not the case. "It's very easy for me to take my hands off this podium because I'm very proud of this incoming administration," he said.

As his family looked on, Student Body President Justin Young emphasized his enthusiasm for the coming year. He then asked the audience to give his family a round of applause for supporting him.

"Being up here at Carolina and having my family in Georgia, I don't get to see them very often," Young said after the inauguration. "Having them here to share an incredible experience is great."

Young's father, James Young, said he is proud of his son, though surprised he was elected at a university where he is a minority. "I think the odds were against (Justin)," he said. "But he's never been one to shirk from a challenge."

Young expressed his gratitude to the voters who elected him and said he wants to focus on making student government accessible.

"I want to kick the doors of student government wide open and help everyone and get everyone involved," he said.

Dustyn Baker, student body secretary and former student body president, said the administration will work on outreach to students who feel separated from student government. "One of the most important things for us is to find those students who feel their ideas are being repressed," she said after the ceremony. "We definitely feel we can represent all student voices."

Former Student Body Vice President Lerissa Rentas fought back tears as she speculated on how her life will be without Suite C. "I'm having really mixed feelings about my leaving," she said. "It's going to be interesting to return to life as a normal student."

Student Body Vice President Rudy Kleysteuber's speech was perhaps the most revealing. After swearing his oath, Kleysteuber announced to the student body in his address that he is gay and said that, to his knowledge, he is the first openly gay officer in the executive branch.

Kleysteuber said Young was aware of his sexual orientation before selecting him for vice president but that it had no bearing on Young's decision. "He picked me because I was qualified and because I will represent the entire student body -- gay, straight, queer or anywhere in between," Kleysteuber said.

Kleysteuber said he revealed his sexuality partly to reach out to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. "I think students need a dedicated, responsible voice for LGBT issues, and I want them to know they can come to me," he said. "I just wanted to get this out in the open. That's the great thing about sexuality -- you can reveal it or you can hide it. And nothing good ever came from hiding it."

Other officers inaugurated included Senior Class President Ben Singer and Vice President Ursula Dimmling; Residence Hall Association President David Cooper; Carolina Athletic Association President Reid Chaney; Student Body Treasurer Kativa Parker; Graduate and Professional Student Federation President Mikisha Brown and the representatives of the 83rd Student Congress.

After the inauguration, new and old officers mingled together and munched on refreshments. "I think we really set a great tone for the rest of the year and got some really encouraging words from our outgoing counterparts," Kleysteuber said.

And Young said he is excited to drop the term "elect" from his title of student body president.

"I've been working on the job for quite some time," he said.

"The only difference is Brad has moved out, and the office is officially mine."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.