Student body officer electionsAshley Earnest
As part of their application for student body president, vice president and secretary, candidates have been allowed to write commentaries detailing their platforms. Today’s commentaries are written by students campaigning for the office of secretary. Officer elections occur Feb. 26 – 27. Don’t forget to vote!
“Earnest”- Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavor; heartfelt; fervent; hearty” (Webster’s Dictionary)
At the beginning of the school year I had the opportunity to serve as the liaison between my first-year peers and the SMU administration. My class voted me into one of the four first-year senator seats. Since taking my oath of office, I have worked ardently for my class, by providing them a voice in Senate. Although I was voted in as a first-year senator, I have worked on legislation ranging from indexing Senate scholarships to student retention rates to encouraging the university to continue its support of the new student programs. I have contributed to several bold pieces of legislation and numerous other projects beneficial to the SMU community. Upon hearing concerns from members of the student body about campus safety, a senior senator and I took the initiative to start a safety walk program. Together, we researched safety walk programs at different universities around the country, and feel confident that one could be started here at SMU with hard work and a zealous attitude. Currently, a fellow senator and I are working on expanding Pony Express money to Moody Coliseum and Ford Stadium. I also helped orchestrate the first-year formal and was in charge of Senate’s homecoming float. My fellow senators observed my heart-felt participation in Senate and honored me with the October Senator of the Month award.
This semester I have had the privilege to observe and get to know many of our top student leaders. I feel they have influenced my leadership abilities and helped me develop my own. I loved working for my class this past year, and now I want the chance to work for my entire school. As a member of the Senate body I worked on projects that will carry over to the next session. I want the chance to take a larger part in carrying out the legislation that Senate puts forth. Dedication, zeal and enthusiasm are qualities of an effective leader and I am Earnest in both name and character.
We as Senate have already begun outlining next year’s agenda, and I am the one that is capable of implementing it. I know that the buddy walk escort program would be a boost in our campus’s overall security. Because of my previous contribution to legislation dealing with indexing Student Senate scholarships, I will push for indexing all school-sponsored scholarships. Realizing that our campus’s population is influenced more and more by transfer students, I feel there is a need for the university to monetarily support transfer orientation programs. These programs would make SMU a more diverse, yet unified campus. I love being able to use my Pony Express card at a multitude of off-campus restaurants. But I feel that there should be more restaurants offered, and with the proper guidance that this program could have endless opportunities in expanding our dining choices. I feel that because of my name, Earnest, and my work ethic that the office of student body secretary would allow me to showcase my full potential as an SMU student body leader.
