One of the greatest things that you could do as a student at Oakland University would be getting involved.

In my previous articles this school year, I’ve highlighted different aspects of how to do that, including people that you can (and should) talk to, places you can (and should) go and see, and organizations that you can (and should) talk to. But today, I’m going to tell you why you should run for Student Body President, Vice President, or become a legislator.

To describe what a legislator is, I’ll tell you exactly how I see people who hold that title — someone who gets to be one of the 23 students (out of approximately 20,000) who are selected to represent the student body as a whole. This means they represent your voice as a student. They get to ultimately decide on how OUSC spends its money, what kinds of programs or events OUSC puts on, and what techniques we utilize to efficiently run as an organization.

It’s an honor to be one of these individuals simply because we wouldn’t be a Student Congress without them.

Nothing would get done. There would be no 24/7 library, no Bear Bus, no hammocks around campus, no Scantron machine — nothing.

To be the Student Body Vice President, you have to love to work with people. You have to want to help other people constantly, and you get to assist the Student Body President in his or her duties on a daily basis. You have the opportunity to chair the general body meetings and meet with the administrative members who want to hear what the students have to say.

Personally, being the Student Body Vice President is an amazing experience I would encourage anyone to pursue. The only catch is this — you have to run on a ticket with someone else as the Student Body President. You start as a team, you campaign as a team, you take office as a team and you finish the school year as a team. You help make up a cohesive unit that shapes the future, mission and vision of the organization. You get to put together a team of individuals that make up your executive board and further accomplish the goals that you set.

The Student Body President is the image of the organization. He or she is the person who ultimately advocates for each and every student who cares enough to make a difference. He or she is the person who becomes the ultimate leader. At the end of the day, whoever is the President is the one who shapes the rest of the organization. He or she sets the tone for everyone else to follow.

If you think that you have any interest at all, please stop by the Student Congress office (basement of the OC, room 62) and talk to our Administrative Assistant, Emily Collins. She can give you all the information that you need to get involved.

If she isn’t present, take one of her business cards with her contact information on it. Act fast — the cutoff date for you to run for one of these positions is Friday, Feb. 1 by 5 pm. So go now before you forget.

Lastly, I know what you’re thinking: all of those things sound great and would look great on a résumé. But that’s not why you should pursue it.

Do it because you want to make a difference. Do it because you want to get involved. Do it because you matter; your voice is strong. And through that, your voice can be heard.

 

Contact Student Body Vice President Robbie Williford via email [email protected]