SNU’s Student Activities Leadership Team (SALT) consists of multiple teams that create spaces for students to come together outside of the classroom. SALT serves as a student government and enhances campus life by creating more ways for students to get involved. Each team has one student who serves as a Lead. Leads complete three to five office hours each week and attend a weekly Lead meeting, in addition to SALT booth hours and individual team meetings.
Social Life Lead Lydia Michell and her team plan large social gatherings. They oversee the dances throughout the year, along with Back to School Bash and Finals Fling, which open and close the school year. In her office hours, the junior pastoral ministry major works with the team’s staff expert, Cooper Milford, to handle behind-the-scenes logistics for events, including working with graphic designers, managing insurance, budgeting, booking venues, and completing paperwork. She loves hearing feedback about her team’s events and watching fellow students come together to celebrate. Through serving as a Lead, she has learned organizational skills, how to implement feedback well, and the importance of completing difficult tasks early to create better outcomes. She works to make these large events welcoming to as many students as possible by identifying what motivates people to attend. She gathers input from her team members and intentionally reaches out to parts of campus her team may not immediately connect with. She enjoys delegating tasks that her team members are excited about and working together to create fun and memorable experiences for students.
Community Relations Lead Kaden Manuel and his team create events that allow students to spend time with friends and meet new people. The sophomore accounting major shared that his team plans events like Wet Bandits and Chicken Fight to spark new connections across campus, while events like Big Chill help strengthen preexisting bonds. He remarked, “My job is to create and cultivate a Christian community on campus through events that bring people together, give them the opportunity to have community, and develop a sense of belonging here at SNU.” He reflected on how his time as a SALT team member during his freshman year helped him realize he had a place to belong, which now motivates him to create that same space for others. The SNU football running back shared, “Everyone has a longing to belong.” Through serving as a Lead, he has learned how to guide a team while also being led by staff expert Dr. Kezia Weaver. His role this year includes more planning, budgeting, and idea development than his previous role as a team member, allowing him to apply what he learned last year.
Sports and Recreation Lead Natalie Nolen and her team connect the student body to athletic events and create memories through large recreational activities such as Broomball and PowerPuff. For SNU Athletics, they lead halftime games, promote teams’ seasons, and kick off the athletic year with the Storm Warning Tailgate. The senior sport business major’s goal is for students to “find community through sports and build student engagement and attendance during games.” A graduate of the women’s soccer team, she enjoys promoting competitive fun among students. Her favorite part of being involved in SALT is “being able to connect with the other Leads and teams and, through that, connect with everyone else on campus.”
Student Body Chair and Finance, Accounting, Statistics, and Tracking (FAST) Lead Kaseton Farris oversees the class presidents and manages finances and budgeting for SALT events. The sophomore finance major shared, “My favorite part of being a Lead is the community I get to help create around campus and connecting with others during office hours.” He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to grow and develop leadership skills. In his role, he helps class presidents plan their two annual class events and organize Town Hall events, such as Raise the Stakes. He also shared excitement about helping start lasting traditions through his leadership.
Each Lead emphasized how their fellow Leads have supported them throughout the school year, both through hands-on help with events and by encouraging one another to grow as followers of Jesus through accountability and shared purpose.
Photo Credits: Trynitie Krout