Missouri Students Association President Xavier Billingsley and Vice President Helena Kooi officially took office Friday night at the 2012 MSA Presidential Inauguration Dinner.

The night featured an array of speakers, including members of the MSA Executive Cabinet, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs and MSA adviser Farouk Aregbe.

Family and friends of cabinet members, MSA senators, faculty, staff and other student leaders were all in attendance.

Both Billingsley and Kooi promised to work hard in their new positions.

“As vice president, I’ll make it my goal to go above and beyond,” Kooi said. “We have set high goals for ourselves, all of us have, but we will not disappoint.”

Billingsley said he hopes to make a difference on campus.

“I want to say ‘I did something to impact somebody’s life,’” he said.

Billingsley received praise throughout the evening from various speakers, including Secretary of Auxiliaries Lauren Damico, who ran against Billingsley and Kooi during the fall 2011 election.

“His dedication to Mizzou is evident in everything he does,” she said about Billingsley.

Many speakers brought laughter from the crowd, including Kooi, who recounted the day Billingsley asked her to run with him.

“Xavier asked me to run with him as vice president in a text message,” she said.

Others took a more serious tone, such as Chief of Staff Steven Dickherber. He told the story of a memorable conversation he had with Billingsley.

“Xavier told me the reason he picked me to be his campaign manager when he ran for president was because I was the one most different from him,” Dickherber said. “Xavier sought somebody who would make him better.”

He went on to speak about the importance of differences in MSA.

“Intentionally seeking diversity in ideas is what we have to do,” he said. “Seeking those who approach the situation differently will make our reach farther.”

Billingsley’s address closed the evening. He highlighted the struggles he had during his sophomore year.

“Now as I look back on the rough times, I can attest that plans don’t always work out,” he said.

Billingsley told the story of how he made the decision to run for MSA president. He said he gave up his job as a Residential Life peer adviser to run.

Although Billingsley and Kooi are now officially in office, speakers throughout the night said the pair and their cabinet have been working on projects since the 2011 election.

Aregbe opened up the evening, speaking about the importance of accountability. He said student government and student affairs staff has the responsibility to always work for students’ best interests.

“Our first accountability is to students,” he said.

Director of Student Communications Zach Toombs highlighted MSA’s new initiative against the Missouri state funding cuts to higher education, “More for Less,” saying that the new executive cabinet was more than capable of representing students’ interests.

“The student body at Mizzou is putting the best foot forward by having these student leaders standing up for them,” he said.

Dickherber and Toombs are former Maneater staff members.