Founding

Let me begin by thanking Chris Slater for the inspiration to create a blog covering my thoughts and ideas surrounding the various events at Concord University. His blog has brought about a lot of discussion related to SGA issues and campus events, and that is a very positive thing. I intend to use my blog to serve a somewhat similar purpose, and I will use it to report on issues related to my positions as Student Representative to the Concord University Board of Governors and Representative to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission's State Advisory Council of Students. Additionally, I will from time to time comment on matters as a legislator in the Student Government Association but I hope that happens only every so often.

I think the greatest thing we can do as students is hold our university to the highest of standards. In the first place, as students we are both consumers of a product (Higher Education), and members of our campus community. As such, we have to approach the majority of issues that arise from both of those perspectives. We cannot afford to be laissez-faire students in an environment when we are constantly at odds with faculty and administrators. We are not at odds because we want to be, but because that is the natural course of things. Administrators for the most part are primarily concerned with the survival of the college, and student representatives are primarily concerned about the survival of fellow students. Faculty members are concerned about promoting their own constituency, and while they are at times stronger critics of administrators than we are they will side with them far more often than they will side with us. That being said, we must always organize and "arm" ourselves with new knowledge and information to take our opponents to task. A free and open student press in any form is a way to help achieve that goal, and I hope this blog will serve a small role in that.

I want to conclude this small founding post with just a few words about my overall attitude and philosophy on student advocacy. I have absolutely no fear of higher powers, and I am not intimidated by individuals of authority. I have been duly elected by members of the Concord University student body to represent them both at the institutional level, and at the state level to influence higher education policy. How could I as a representative help my constituents if I did not constantly work to hold people accountable? I will work to build bridges and networks of support with my fellow board members, and I will reach out to state and local officials to achieve my policy goals. However; when the time comes to point the finger of blame or occasionally chew out a vice president I will be more than happy to accept my responsibilities. I hope I can be of service.