Bradley Opere sworn in as student body president

Friends and families came to witness student government pass the torch on Tuesday to its 2016-17 members –– including newly sworn-in Student Body President Bradley Opere.

“I’m walking in with a lot of positivity,” Opere said.

In his inaugural address, Opere touched on the recent basketball championship match and the doubts held about the team.

“It was obvious that the toughness and integrity of the basketball wasn’t all that was in question. It was the character of the whole University,” Opere said.

Opere used the game to make a point about UNC’s toughness in the wake of the athletic-academic scandal and the other trials that have faced the University.

“(Marcus Paige’s) 3-pointer was not just another basket, but the resilience of Carolina,” he said, referring to the shot Paige made at the end of the championship game to briefly tie it.

Opere said the University is going through a difficult time and faces many challenges.

“I wish I could say this evening that basketball was the last of the challenges we have to face,” Opere said.

He wasn’t alone.

In his own speech, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp said he agreed with Opere that the University faces challenges.

“We are living in momentous times,” Crisp said.

“We are engaged right now in nothing less than the redefining and evolving of what it means to be a public university of higher education in this country.”

Crisp said he had great faith in the newly elected members of student government and the concept of student self-governance.

“How do you top that? Thank you, Bradley,” Crisp said after Opere gave his inaugural address. “I can’t tell you the amount of pride and gratitude with which I stand here today.”

Crisp had a positive attitude when he mentioned the academic scandal.

“I have great confidence that when the smoke clears, this light on the hill will continue to shine as it always has, neither broken nor tarnished by the travails it’s faced,” he said.

Echoing Crisp’s sentiment of positivity, Opere spoke directly to the student body.

“Now, more than ever, we must step up,” he said.

Opere said he believes UNC can overcome its challenges if everyone works together.

“It remains my conviction that we can band together as a school and face our University’s challenges united,” he said.

Opere and other members of student government expressed a strong desire to work hard on behalf of the student body to better serve them.

Former student body vice president Rachel Gogal also brought up the basketball team, a favorite topic of the night, to send a message to the newly sworn-in student government members.

“Fight for a better tomorrow with a team that will do anything for each other,” she said. “Fight with a team who’s unstoppable and hungry for success. Fight with a team who cares.”

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