Student Body President Patton Byars delivered the 2025 State of the Student Body address on February 5 at Rutledge Chapel, where he reflected on the achievements of his administration over the course of his term and its future goals.
Byars discussed multiple initiatives including advancements in parking and transportation, increased Uber discount funds and the post-hurricane donation drive. He said he believes there is a need for a new student union, modern classrooms, improved housing and consistent Wi-Fi. After the State of The Student Body address, student senate had its weekly session.
State of the student body
Byars said he heard and responded to students’ requests for change, gaining inspiration from shared experiences and emphasizing the responsibility of student leaders to create real change.
"The campaign to run for student body president gave me a chance to hear so many of you and to meet so many of you, to hear about your frustration and your hopes. I listened to your call for a safer and cleaner and more accessible campus," Byars said. I heard you loud and clear when you asked about your Wi-Fi, better parking and more reliable transportation options."
Byars spoke about the unveiling of the desegregation monument that took place on the Horseshoe in April, which he said was a powerful symbol of the university's shared progress and commitment to unity.
Byars said that one of his proudest achievements is the launch of the after-hours shuttle service , which represents one of the largest financial investments by a university department for a Student Government initiative.He said the bus transportation is now more convenient and reliable, including the lunchtime shuttle which connects Russell House to Campus Village.
He also reflected on the free water bottles handed out in the student section during home football games, portable phone chargers in Williams-Brice Stadium, the Forever to Thee rivalry initiative, expansion of the Uber discount program and having classes cancelled to celebrate the women's basketball National Championship win.
Over 20,000 studentsregistered to vote across the Southeast as part of a registration draft in partnership with other SEC student governments. After Hurricane Helene, the Stuff the Bus campaign filled three busses with donations.
Byars said that Wi-Fi has been a top issue on campus for several years. He said that more Wi-Fi improvements are coming to Thomas Cooper Library, Gambrell and Close-Hipp this summer.
Byars credited student feedback for his administration's accomplishments.
"Each of these wins I've previously mentioned aren't just ours, they're yours. They're the result of listening to your concerns, turning ideas into action and striving to make our campus better today," Byars said.
Byars said that student have pushed for mental health excused absence over the course of many years but the idea was repeatedly dismissed. Now, starting this semester, the university is launching a pilot program to provide excused absences for mental health reasons..
Byars ended his speech by thanking everyone who made his term possible- and especially the student body for giving him the "honor of his life".
Student senate
After the State of the Student Body address, USC's 116th student senate was called to order and passed seven pieces of legislation.
One piece of passed legislation, introduced by Chairman of the Powers and Responsibilities Committee Lawson Windsor and Senator Grant Dworzanowski, was a recommendation to institute an official sledding event at Dodie Hill on snow days.
"Although sledding was a great experience, the issue was the lack of safety precautions, like cars drifting around the parking lot, and the large amount of trash left behind afterward," Dworzanowski said. "I think it would be a super easy thing for the university to just station some people there to make sure that things are safe, and it would be an easy way for students to have fun on campus."
Another piece of passed legislation, introduced by Senator Amanda Blanton, was a recommendation to increase lower-level student seating in Colonial Life Arena for men and women's basketball games.
According to the recommendation, USC women’s basketball has consistently led the NCAA in attendance since 2015, setting new records this year, while men's games often have around 4,000 empty seats. To address this disparity and improve student access, the recommendation proposes designating sections 107 and 108 for student seating at both men and women’s home basketball games starting in the 2025-2026 season.
"Women's basketball had an average attendance of almost 3,000 more students for games than men's, yet their sections have less space available," Chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee Kiki D'Apolito, who spoke on the bill, said.
The other piece of passed legislation, introduced by Senator Nicolas Gauvin-Arriaga, was a recommendation to form grading deadlines to ensure timely feedback for student work.
According to the recommendation, students depend on timely responses from professors to track their academic progress, yet many instructors enforce strict deadlines for students while failing to adhere to prompt grading standards themselves.
The recommendation proposes implementing grading deadlines with automated reminders for faculty, departmental oversight for compliance, and a mechanism for students to report excessive delays. Exceptions would be allowed for extenuating circumstances, and the policy would first be piloted in select departments before full implementation.
"If you're going months and don't know how you're doing in the class- and then you find out you have a "B" or worse, which has happened to some students, that's a problem, and we want to prevent that," Gauvin said.
Other pieces of passed legislation were to commend the relocation of Tiger Burn to Blatt Athletic Field, amend Chapter 5 of the Student Government Codes to add responsibilities for the Chief Justice, amend the duties of the comptrollers and allocate funds to various student organizations.
Student senate will meet in its normal location next Wednesday, in Russell House Theatre at 5:30 p.m. All students are welcome to attend these meetings.