Students interested in running for next year's student body president and vice president positions still have a chance to apply, but first they may want to learn what these positions entail.
Dewey Denning, student body president and a senior integrated studies major from Iona, Idaho, said being student body president requires a lot of work. There are several different responsibilities the president has. Denning's main responsibilities include being a voting member of the board of trustees, which is the highest governing body at DSC. Denning is also on the academic council, is a member of the Utah student association, chairs the fee allocation committee, and chairs the student executive council.
"Being on the [student executive] council means I oversee and help out and give ideas to every branch of student government," Denning said.
Denning's other main responsibility is acting as a liaison between students and the administration.
Nate Jensen, student body vice president and a senior communication major from Willard, is the chair of the elections committee. His other main responsibilities include being the chair of the student senate council, as well as being a member of the curriculum committee and the academic council. Jensen is also in charge of organizing the Student of the Semester banquets, the Discover Dixie's Degrees events, and Political Awareness Week.
All of these responsibilities will be just some of the things the next president and vice president will have to do next year.
The mandatory meetings for those interested in running for student body president and vice president were last week. However, if students are still interested, Jensen said they can come to the student government room in the Gardner Center and plead their case as to why they weren't at one of the meetings.
"They have to have a good excuse for why they weren't there," Jensen said. "Sympathy will be given, but they need to come in as soon as possible and get all the paper work, and [the election committee] will decide from there."
Jensen and Denning both want to see things they started this year continue into next year.
Denning said one thing student government members have done this year is work really hard to attend as many meetings as possible for all the committees. He said because of this participation, student government has earned a lot of respect from administration.
"They are now helping us out a lot," he said. "It's been wonderful. That's the No. 1 thing that needs to continue-that student representation on the institution's committees and boards."
Jensen agreed with Denning and said he expects the next presidents to represent the student body as best they can.
"We didn't do that perfectly, but that's what we wanted to happen," Jensen said. "Everything we did was to give students back the credibility of being fully functioning citizens of a campus community."
Jensen said the best advice he can give to students campaigning is to have a clear cut vision of what they want to see happen in the next school year.
"Ever since I came to Dixie, I've always looked for it in everyone that's run," he said. "It was a top priority of Dewey and I. The advice I give to anyone running is if they don't have a clear vision of what they want, then they shouldn't be running."
Jensen said the consequence of not having a vision and getting into student government is failure.
Denning said the best advice he can give to students who are planning on running is to avoid being artificial.
"If you're in it for yourself, don't be in it at all," Denning said.
Another piece of advice Jensen has for future candidates is to focus on serving the student body.
"If a campaign team isn't focused on serving students, then they'll get themselves in a mess," he said.
Campaigning begins at midnight on March 1 when candidates will participate in the annual "race for space" competition, which is a race to get the best spots to put posters, banners and other campaigning items. March 1 is also when students will find out who's running for sure. Between now and March 1, those planning on running are organizing their campaign teams.
"People on different candidates' teams will know who's running, but not everyone will until March 1," Jensen said. "Candidates right now are not allowed to ask anyone to vote for them."
When the time comes for students to start voting on March 4, Jensen suggested students find out the motives behind each candidate.
"[Students] need to demand a vision because they are paying a lot of money to be here," he said. "These people will control their student fees. They need to demand representation and good activities. If they don't demand it, they'll get what they voted for."
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