Let your voice be heard at forum

After attending the first senior events forum two Fridays ago, I left Wolff Auditorium feeling joyful, eager and moved. I was happy almost all of the participating students were on the same page with our senior class adviser, David Lindsay, that the discussion went smoothly, and because it was a Friday (the preseason men's basketball game).

I was excited to see the productive ideas that our class would generate in response to the consequence of our actions. But more importantly, I had a realization that there was an obvious disconnect between elected officials and students. You can try your best at something, but you may just need that extra advice to excel. After constantly getting called out in my strategic management class to give updates about happenings around the school I figured I could fix this and it would probably have an incredible impact (Thanks, Professor Stewart). A fellow classmate helped me come up with the idea of holding a student-led discussion where elected officials were more accessible, and less formal than their weekly meetings.

 As student body president, I am consistently running around the clock. Anyone that is reading this and considering running for the position next year — it certainly will drain a significant amount of energy and time from your life. But it is rewarding. Not every student knows this, but I have the opportunity to connect and communicate with Gonzaga University's top administrative officials like our regents, trustees, vice-presidents and even our newly inaugurated president Thayne McCulloh. I have monthly meetings with Thayne and he has vehemently expressed his concern for the student "buzz" around campus. He is incredibly receptive and I can honestly say that he is genuinely interested in the well-being of me, you and Gonzaga as a whole. The very first time that I met with Thayne, I pitched ideas about implementing late night dining and restructuring our archaic Zagmail system, and voila, both have been changed.

Students, whether you realize it or not, the regents and trustees of Gonzaga are incredibly concerned about your well being. Whether they are busy entrepreneurs managing multiple companies or working out finances from their homes, they all have your best interest in mind. I am the main student liaison between these policymakers and the students. We all know Gonzaga is not perfect (at least to most), so tell it to me straight up. Let's talk about what you like, despise, and let's be a little bit more constructive, than "the COG food sucks."  

I can tell you right now I don't have all the answers, but I am the biggest student link at this school. The Gonzaga Student Body Association (GSBA) should be the most externally visible and transparent organization on campus. Which means I need to be the most transparent student on campus, and any student should be able to talk to me about anything, anytime. I really want to do the best job that I can, so y'all need to let me know what your biggest concerns are.

So now in addition to our weekly GSBA senate meetings, I plan on having a monthly student meeting during the Thursday lunch hour. So please come to College Hall Room 101 on Thursday, Dec. 2 from 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m. to "Chat with Pat." See you there. Go Zags.