Ken Anderson, Richmond College Student Government Association president elect, answered five questions about his past experiences and plans for RCSGA
The Collegian: What inspired you to run for RCSGA President?
Ken Anderson: RCSGA president has been a huge personal goal since I was elected as a freshman senator. I enjoy meeting different contingents of the student body in a representative capacity. I enjoy working for positive change and always wish to have a full understanding of what’s going on in the campus community. After watching three different presidents of the organization and gaining an understanding of the role of the RCSGA President I felt that I might be qualified to take on the role. The President is required to serve as both the leader of the senate but also to represent the body and its ideas to administration and alumni. I serve on other organizations where I can connect these administrative contacts with our body and have a great deal of respect for my fellow senators.
TC: I know you have served as an RCSGA senator. What have you learned about leadership and student government during your time as a senator?
KA: As an RCSGA member and a Jepson student, I have learned both theoretical and practical applications of leadership over the past three years. I think the ability to listen and to seek out your constituents is crucial to having successful leadership in student government. Though I am leading the senate and the voiced concerns of the student body to administration, I am ultimately a servant of the student body.
In three years of senate and seeing three very distinctly different presidents, I have learned that there are many different ways to lead the senate successfully. I hope to come in as a leader who is receptive to concern, respectful to administration and friends of our school, full of energy, and completely approachable to anyone who needs me.
In my time as a senator, I have also learned the distinctness of being a senator vs. President. As a senator, it is crucial to hear the voices of your constituents while creating new ideas. As president, I am the representative of my body and must show the dignity of a president in my public and personal life.
Probably the most important piece I have learned as as a senator is that Student Government has a lot of power for change on our campus. If used correctly and funneled through the proper channels, we are an organization that makes significant contributions to the success of Richmond College and the University of Richmond.
TC: What is your top priority as you move into the role of president?
KA: I definitely wish to continue the efforts of our previous president, Angelo Suggs, with showing transparency to the student body. If I am doing something as president or the senate is making strides to improve student life, and the general student body doesn’t know about it, what good does it do? I think it is crucial for the student body to understand what we as a body are doing at all times. For the student body to know that they have a president who is ready to listen to them is my goal. Without connection with the student body, I have no purpose. In the attitude of transparency, my hope is to make the senate and me as president the most approachable people on campus.
My second top priority is internal organization. Before I was elected, I was in the process of leading our constitutional edits committee and wish to continue to review and improve our guiding document. An updated and current constitution will bring a senate that runs more efficiently and will make senators more efficient and accountable and hopefully bring a higher quality of life for Richmond College men and for all students at the University of Richmond.
TC: What will it take for you to consider next year a successful year for RCSGA?
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KA: I have very high hopes for the coming year for the RCSGA! We have a dedicated group that is likely to be reelected and the senior class in particular has, since our freshman year expressed a great deal of dedication to the organization. This passion will show itself in programs and proper representation.
With continued transparency and internal organization as top priorities, I think that many of the great ideas that come to the senate through its senators will be accomplished and I think that we will look back at the 2016-17 year as a success. These two pieces are imperative to us in achieving our goals and will be not just a personal goal for me as president but also hopefully will be a guiding force for each and every senator.
TC: What are some of the greatest obstacles you anticipate facing as you look to accomplish your top priorities?
KA: With any great task comes potential obstacles. I look at obstacles in general as challenges that can ultimately be solved. I try to be as practical as possible and understand that everything that is presented and proposed cannot be implemented. It is a challenge to tell somebody that something isn’t instantly possible. Even if I or the RCSGA is unable to succeed in a specific area, my hope is that the student body still sees that we listened and worked to fix the problem or address the concern.
Contact editor-in-chief Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu
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