Student Gov. president gives advice to future candidates

By Gail Fredricks | Posted March 4, 2016

Nigel Donald, Student Organization’s current President, will be graduating in May, leaving a long list of achievements behind and some big shoes to fill.

However, Donald will not be leaving Kean University without giving credit to his team and the students.

“I don’t like to self-proclaim any achievements for myself, because nothing can get done around here alone,” said Donald.

The idea behind Student Organization’s goal is to hear the concerns and complaints of students and be able to work with committees that have open ears to resolve those issues.

“It is my obligation to hear what they’re saying,” said Donald.

Some of the achievements in Donald’s time as president include getting food vendors on campus, giving students a variety of meal options and establishing information on trolley screens, something that is essential for our commuting and transfer students.

Student Organization plans programmed events such as “March for Success,” which is geared towards seniors, assisting them with tools and to gain confidence in their job search after graduation. They also take part in implementing Latin Heritage and African America History month on campus.

Donald has been part of Student Organization since his freshman year. He has had over 50 percent of the roles in the organization and admitted that with each year come more challenges.

Donald’s advice for future representatives and president’s is: Take everything one day at a time.

“College students are stressed out because we are always thinking forward, planning our future instead of living in the present,” said Donald. “Also, you will always fail at something you don’t have fun doing.”

According to Donald, to be successful in this position, you have to be accessible. The position is not just a prestigious role or something to put on your resume. Just as President Obama is the face of our country, as president you will be the face of the University—and a voice for its students.

Kean University’s Student Organization is now accepting applications for upcoming open positions. Student Organization represents the full-time undergraduate students at Kean University, and it is the entry point to getting student’s voices heard.

The deadline to submit applications is March 4 at 2 p.m. There are over 40 positions available, and all candidates must be full-time undergraduate students at Kean University.

Once applications are entered, Student Organization’s staff will go through applications and determine eligibility in regards to GPA and credits required for each position. The mandatory candidate meetings will then proceed on March 15, in which further information will be provided about the election policy and the ethics of running for a position.

Applications can be found here.

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