SGA: the next generation
By Cara Warfield
Long after the burners at the Raven’s Haven have been shut off and students have headed to the dorms for the night, senior Abby Long makes her way to the Olt Student Center and flicks on the light in her office. She plops down in the cushy chair behind her desk and proceeds to work through a long to-do list — e-mails, schedules, proposals. After a long day of back-to-back classes and meetings, her agenda seems overwhelming. And she can’t help but think of her eight roommates huddled around a TV, snickering at the latest reality show.
But her envy fades as she immerses herself into her work, focusing on more important issues on campus, such as food service planning and consistent leadership standards — two of her biggest challenges this year.
As president of Student Government Association (SGA), Long fulfills one of the most important roles on campus, acting as mediator between the student body and the university’s executive staff. However, as involved as student government is in a variety of campus affairs today, this was not always the case.
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It wasn’t until 1922, five years after the school began, that the idea of a student government was taken seriously. Seven more years of discussion and debate led to the creation of a student council and a constitution.
Forty-five years ago, Student Council performed largely in a social capacity, says Nyle Kardatzke BS ’62, Student Council president during the 1960-61 school year, recalling that he had “few, if any, specified responsibilities, other than conducting meetings of the Student Council, which I think were monthly.”
Kardatzke and his team coordinated social, religious, and social club activities. They initiated a Toys for Tots service project and met occasionally with President Robert Reardon to discuss student issues.
Noting the independence and professionalism of the current student government, Kardatzke believes Student Council began to take a more active role in the early 1960s. “This was seen in the service projects, and also in our small influence on school policy and decision-making,” he says. “By 1964, when I returned to Anderson College from two years in the Peace Corps, the Student Council was quite active and adversarial.”
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Today SGA works with the administration on a number of issues. “Student government has become less focused on the social aspects of campus,” Long says. “With the emergence of the Campus Activities Board, SGA has been able to focus on the internal issues, working with Food Services, Technology Services, Physical Plant, and the things that really matter to students.”As president, Long oversees and facilitates the activities of her cabinet. She directs SGA staff meetings and chairs the Presidential Executive Staff meetings once a month when her cabinet and the university’s executive staff regroup.
Additionally, she participates on the university’s Strategic Planning Committee as the only student in a group of 16 people working together to draft a vision for the campus over the next 10 years.
“It’s been great to have that kind of voice for the future,” she says. “They’ve opened up a window to let me see inside and see what’s going on and what they’re dreaming about.”
Despite her involvement in student government, first as a senator and now as president, Long says she’s really not a politician. She’s a Bible and religion major. She’s never had political ambitions.
She did want to be involved in campus life, and eventually she felt called into a leadership role and campaigned as a candidate for student body president, utilizing word of mouth instead of the traditional posters and T-shirts.
“This has been especially unique because I had the opportunity to decide who was going to form SGA with me. I could choose my cabinet, and thus, had an influence on who would help me implement change.”
She couldn’t be happier with her decision, mentioning that her success is the result of her cabinet’s performance. Her cabinet includes Vice President Justin Zerkle, Senate Chairperson Robbyn Perdue, Chief Justice Jake Carey, Secretary of Finance Brandon Coon, Secretary of Public Relations Laura Belsley, and Secretary of Student Development Ashley Mathewson.
“Everything we do is a team effort,” Long says. “And I couldn’t have picked a better team.”
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In the late 1960s, the student government sought to increase its influence with the administration by enlisting greater support from the student body. Student Council became the Anderson College Student Government Association (ACSGA) in 1968 as the representative system changed with the creation of seven area chairmen. A new constitution promised increased representation, and the judicial branch was created as a means of improving communication between the students and the administration.The ACSGA of the 1970s focused on more significant student issues such as student labor, the judicial system and its inconsistencies, off-campus housing, dorm hours, and the college budget.
Bill Patrie BA ’71, student body president during the 1970-71 school year, recalls the extensive time and effort he put into this position. “I figured I could outwork the administration!” he remembers.
Patrie recalls that ACSGA pushed the administration to take the student body more seriously; however, student government continued to operate with limited power, as it spent a great deal of energy on a 1971 bill to allow students living in the dorms to rent small refrigerators. ACSGA had very little influence on issues relating to academic policy and curriculum.
In 1972 an article in the Andersonian stated that student government was “struggling for its very existence.” Divisions within ACSGA delayed the passage of legislation. Weekly student government meetings were postponed or canceled. And student interest in the legislature dwindled with the decline of voter turnout.
Despite significant strides since the inception of Student Council, the student government of the 1970s continued the struggle for unity, student support, and influence with the administration.
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In contrast, today’s SGA struggles to keep up with student correspondence and an ambitious agenda. Coming into her junior year, Long had a lot to look forward to. This was her first year to live off campus with eight of her close friends. She expected a challenging academic year. And she anticipated great opportunities in conjunction with her new role as student body president. However, she also knew that it would be hard to balance her academic commitments with her responsibilities to SGA. She quit her off-campus job and limited her involvement in student activities.“My two commitments coming into this year were to do this job well and to live well,” Long says. “This has allowed me to focus my time and energy on addressing the concerns of the student body and working to do something positive.”
SGA is especially significant in its role as a liaison between the student body and the administration. Long and her cabinet report problems or concerns of the student body to the university administrators, offer suggestions and assistance in dealing with these issues, and then report back to the students.
“We do a lot of planning and information gathering, and then we pass that information onto students,” Long says.
In addition to SGA’s office hours, students also have the opportunity to voice concerns to the student government via Senate meetings or the new SGA e-mail address. As a result, students are finally learning the potential of SGA.
“I’ve seen this office utilized more this year by students than I ever have,” Long says. “I think a lot of this is due to our public relations efforts — our Web site and posters. Students can come here and feel comfortable. And to be honest, I don’t know another way in which students can have their opinions heard on the issues that impact them. The administration gives us their time, but it’s always been up to the students to give us valuable things to say.”
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Student government continued to struggle in the 1980s. In early 1984, six members of the student government resigned, leaving important positions vacant. The student government officially resolved itself and rescinded its constitution that same year. The remaining government officials formed an interim leadership task force designated to look into the problems that had caused ACSGA to decline. They determined that the constitution was the root of the problem and immediately drafted a new document, developing a new structure for student government, which they renamed the Anderson College Student Association (ACSA).The new constitution created three equal branches of government — a judiciary, a senate, and an executive body.
ACSA became AUSA in 1987 when Anderson College officially became Anderson University. Communication between the student body and the administration improved.
“My mantra has always been that the students are the lifeblood of the university, says Rudy Pyle BA ’92, elected student body president in 1990 and again in 1991.
Working closely with President James Edwards, Pyle and his cabinet contributed to the renovation of the university’s food service. The AUSA was also instrumental in motivating a drive to computerize the campus, start a recycling program, and develop a library endowment, Pyle adds.
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As the influence and responsibilities of the student government have expanded over the years, now more than ever SGA operates with the support and respect of the administration.“They take their roles very seriously and are professional in their work with us,” says Sena Landey, vice president for finance and treasurer, who goes on to say that the administration takes SGA very seriously as well. “We are on a first-name basis and work as closely as they want.”
As the institution has grown, so have the challenges facing SGA. “Sometimes our growth stretches us in areas like parking, housing, and food service,” Landey says. “It is a challenge to stay as aware of all the details as we would like as there are so many more programs in operation today.”
The feeling of support and respect is quite mutual, according to Long, who says the administration is very in tune with what’s going on around campus. “This job has been so great because I really enjoy the people I work with,” she says. “I have a great deal of respect for the administration and this type of working relationship makes it easier to deal with the issues that come up.”
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The AUSA of the 1990s closely resembles today’s SGA in terms of responsibilities and concerns. The student government confronted the administration with issues that remain hot-button topics today, including the alcohol policy, open house hours, cafeteria food, dorm conditions, campus security, and mandatory chapel attendance.
Additionally, the student administration helped in the planning and development of several luxuries students now enjoy, according to Kara Carlisle BA ’99, student body president during the 1998-99 school year.
“We were pre-Wellness Center students,” she says. “We lobbied to increase access to athletic facilities for students by working to get exercise equipment into the dorms. We worked actively with Joe Royer at the Physical Plant to construct an outdoor sand volleyball court. And we worked with architects in developing plans for the Wellness Center.”
Although the AUSA of the ’90s is very similar to the current SGA, Carlisle’s administration was unique in terms of diversity. She was the first Korean to be elected president. Furthermore, she and her vice president, Julie (Beam) Kurrle BA ’98, were the first female-female team to hold office.
“We worked intentionally to diversify the staff,” Carlisle says. “We encouraged leadership from all academic disciplines and worked against political nepotism. This definitely evoked strong responses among some sectors of student populations.”
Voter turnout increased in the 1990s as did interest in government positions. And the constitution was revised again, limiting the student body president’s complete control of student government activities.
As president, Carlisle spent 15 to 20 hours per week working on campus issues with her cabinet and the administration. “AUSA was time-consuming and at times draining,” she says. “We had influence but limited power. We were charged with the task of affecting change within a community full of different interests, but had no real budget.”
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Student government changed its name once more in 2000 to become the Student Government Association, a name the students felt was more universally recognized. Although today’s student government has come a long way since the 1960s in terms of prestige, organization, and influence, in many ways it continues to emulate former student administrations as it deals with budget limitations and encourages students to become more involved.Long sees the evolution of SGA and its impact as a process. “The changes that happen are not going to be revolutionary,” she says. “The change is more within the systems in which things are done. We’re continuing to see what needs to happen to form the most effective government.”
But for right now, Long is ready to call it a night. She finishes her last few e-mails, looks at her watch, and groans. She’s been working for nearly three hours and still has a pile of homework yet to do. She packs up her things and gives the place one final glance before locking the door behind her, prepared to do the whole thing over again tomorrow.
Despite her Bible and religion major, and assertions that she is not a politician, Long is toying with the idea of working with local Congressman Mike Pence, who has asked her to be part of his annual Leadership Forum.
“I’ve realized that my heart is in equipping people and preparing them to lead in their area of service,” she says. “I think that role is what has brought me to SGA, and it seems to be a consistent pattern in whatever I do. So, I have no doubt that whether I’m in politics or the church, my passion will still be in preparing people to serve in their communities.”
The future of SGA looks equally bright as students increasingly appreciate its efforts and trust its abilities. Student government continues to involve itself in planning and organizing social activities, but as it operates under the broader purpose of promoting a “healthy campus environment,” SGA’s responsibilities have expanded to incorporate academic curriculum and policies, campus services, student life, disciplinary procedures, and spiritual development.
Student government has grown to become an important aspect of AU throughout the course of its history. And it seems likely that it will continue to provide leadership and direction in the future.
