They say they had fun and great opportunities.

Eric McDaniel and Josh Fergel, 2015-16 student body president and VP, leave their office of student government Sunday. Their yearlong term saw a range of success, achievements and some ideas that shifted or never materialized.

Campaign points 

Looking back over their “Ignite, Inspire, Include” campaign points, McDaniel and Fergel said a few things stuck out.

The pair said in September that above all, they hoped to clinch their campaign point of peer mentoring.

Early engagement with students to integrate them into the North Dakota State campus is essential, they said. Today, peer mentoring is in progress.

“The application is live,” Fergel said, and will begin pairing with orientation over summer.

While peer mentoring is on track, the pair’s point of large group involvement “changed modes,” McDaniel said.

They had “good feedback,” but the idea changed to more of an informative basis with potential success this fall.

Web-based assessments fell short somewhat as well, Fergel said, as the class was not able to test for several reasons.

Web-based assessments largely dealt with “relaxed” testing for students on tighter schedules, Fergel said. Beta testing, a location and personnel were lined up last fall, but “the class was not able to test,” Fergel said, adding the idea will “hopefully transition to the next team.”

Restructuring the student senate and installing charging stations were successes, while collaborating with the graduate student council “didn’t happen,” McDaniel said.

A speaker database also did not transpire, as there was “no need for it,” McDaniel said, as each college has its own speaker contact list.

The charging stations, however, were “classic student government,” McDaniel said, as it “helped promote” the stations, four of which were installed last fall in the Memorial Union.

In addition, McDaniel and Fergel said they tried to bring more awareness to campus safety through campus walkthroughs, promoting the Pathlight app and meeting twice with University Police director Mike Borr.

Ahead and behind 

McDaniel said he’s bound for a job in Denver, leaving in mid-July. Fergel leaves June 5 for active duty at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Both said they have a few regrets about their time in office. McDaniel said he wished he could have worked more with tier I organizations and the tri-college senate as well as better informing about fee proposals presented to the student fee advisory board, adding there’s “potential for next year.”

Fergel, meanwhile, was largely absent from campus in spring as he student taught 130 seventh graders at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School in Fargo.

“It’s tough. You lose a lot of energy,” he added.

One other regret he had about his term was his underestimation of web-based assessments as the idea had “too many pieces” of proctors, rooms, systems, teachers, classes and communication.

Despite his time management, Fergel said he is “content with” their platform, including peer mentoring. He’s also pleased with student support.

“I’m happy students at least had confidence to come yell at us,” he said.

McDaniel too liked the outcome of peer mentoring, adding he wished he could be there for it in fall.

“I had a lot of fun,” he said.