When Patrick Kobler announced his intentions to run for Student Body President last spring, I must admit I was a little apprehensive. His predecessor, Rob Hayden—a Floridian with a hint of southern charm—had done what I consider an admirable job of representing the SMU student body. I questioned, “How would this tall, lanky, somewhat goofy and matter-of-fact Midwesterner (hailing from Wisconsin of all places) perform as the leading voice of the students?” I voted for him anyhow, and by all accounts he has exceeded my greatest expectations.
During just one year in office, Kobler has amassed a long and impressive list of accomplishments, most of which directly benefit the undergraduate body. He is passionate and driven, and despite his demographic characteristics he has a unique and uncanny ability to relate to the diverse student body he represents and to bring people of different backgrounds together around a common goal.
We saw this phenomenon at work the day Kobler took his oath of office. In his inaugural address, he promised to bring back the Senate Diversity Committee in order to provide Student Senate with the direct link needed to promote diverse interactions on campus.
In his first meeting the same day, he delivered on that promise. Soon after, Kobler was on the front lines again advocating for reform of the Social Registration Process and by the end of the first semester he had helped secure lights on the walkways around sorority row.
Kobler is constantly fighting for and on behalf of the students, as is evident from his insistence that a student representative sit on the Faculty Senate Calendar Committee—which led to the first ever student representative on that committee.
And yet, on the other hand, Kobler has not been afraid to accept and demand responsibility from the student body itself. So when the university sought answers for overcoming a series of substance abuse violations, he partnered with other student leaders (namely, Nicola Muchnicoff) and founded Mustangs Who Care, a program designed to increase responsibility and awareness for students who go out socially. For Kobler, leadership is simply about getting things done.
Perhaps what impresses me most about our Student Body President (and what compelled me to write on his behalf) is his compassion for the world around him and his wisdom as a student leader in recognizing that there is always room for action.
When the world witnessed the recent and tragic loss of human life in Haiti, Kobler did not sit back idly waiting for others to provide direction; he did what great leaders always do in a time of uncertainty—he acted, and he did so valiantly and honorably. As a co-leader in SMU’s Heart Beats for Haiti campaign, he helped raise an incredible $25,000 for the Clinton/Bush Relief fund and, to top things off, he presented the check directly to Bush himself.
Kobler’s list of accomplishments and his impact on our campus are innumerable. To be fair, he and I differ on a host of issues. For one, he’s a Republican from the Midwest, and let’s just say that I’m not either of those. But I recognize and appreciate strong and effective leadership when I see it. President-elect Jake Torres and any other aspiring student leaders have much to learn from the outstanding example of leadership in action showcased by Patrick Kobler.
And when my fellow Class of 2010 graduates and I walk across the stage in May, for the first time in a long while we will receive our official SMU diplomas—for which again we have Kobler to thank!
Warren Seay, Jr. is a senior political science major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
