Last spring Garrett Kuhn was elected student body president along with his vice president, Christopher Dick. Their campaign platform consisted of three promises: to reduce the number of emails students receive on a daily basis, to host an event in the spring for students to look forward to, and to create more opportunities for club fairs in the spring semester.
So far Kuhn feels like he is on track to fulfill all of these promises. “I worked heavily on my email policy over the summer, and I got it out on time and precisely as I promised it,” he said. As the year goes on, he will evaluate how the new email policy is working and continue to collaborate with IT to improve it. His other two campaign promises will be fulfilled farther into the school year, but he has already been working on the setup needed. “We are working on finding an artist for a concert sometime in March or April…the wheels are already spinning on that.”
The role of the student body president is to serve as a voice for the student body, to advocate for what is important to them and to oversee the executive branch of Student Government to ensure that everyone can best serve their constituents. “I serve on a lot of different committees and councils across campus so I can represent the voices of students,” said Kuhn. “I also listen to what students have to say and take feedback about what we need to change.”
Kuhn and the rest of Student Government worked all summer on the policy changes and improvements needed to make NDSU a better place this year. “This summer I met with shared governance groups—Student Government, Staff Senate, and Faculty Senate—to create a sort of functional system so that we all get an equal say in things,” he said. “Basically my whole summer can be summed up as a lot of meetings.”
Aside from his position as president, Kuhn is also balancing three majors—economics, agricultural economics, and political science—as well as working at USDA. He keeps on top of it all by intentionally managing his time and limiting distractions while still making the time to take care of his mental and physical health. “I make a promise to myself not to play any video games during the school year,” he said. “There are 24 hours in a day and sometimes you have to give up things that you normally enjoy.”
Applications to join Student Government are open through Sept. 8th, and the application form is available on the Student Government website. “I would highly recommend you apply for Student Senate or the Student Court if you want to get involved at NDSU and have your voice heard,” said Kuhn. According to the Student Government website, the senate is in charge of funding and legislation for student organizations and campus projects, while the court is in charge of matters involving the Student Body Constitution and the rights of NDSU students.