Miami Student

Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Campus

Sutmöller

Alexander

The end of the 2006-07 academic year also marks the turnover of student leadership in Associated Student Government (ASG) from President Brian Alexander to President Elect Jens Sutmöller.

After leading ASG through an academic year that faced a funding crisis, a possible outdoor drinking game ban, and a senate composed of those new to ASG, outgoing Student Body President Brian Alexander says he is leaving his term with no regrets.

"I gave it my all," Alexander said.

Alexander came into his role as student body president with a focus on five specific goals, including working to prevent sexual assaults on campus, increase diversity awareness at Miami, improve parking in Oxford, improve academics and listen and act upon student concerns.

Despite admittedly "not having enough time" to get to all of his goals, Alexander said he is content with what he has accomplished, including recommending the hiring of a part-time sexual assault coordinator for Miami.

Alexander also commented on his work organizing the MUvement rally in Central quad this past October, where hundreds of students gathered to celebrate diversity on
Miami's campus.

He also led efforts to save the Collegiate Readership Program, which provides free newspapers across campus, and was key in the effort to put up more elaborate bus stop signs that show the bus times as well as the bus routes at major on-campus bus stops.

The only major area that Alexander said he was not able to deal with over the past year was improving the state of parking at Miami by opening up several Red lots to students.

"I just didn't have enough time between classes, meetings, events and other things that came up," Alexander said.

Alexander also admits there were challenges of being student body president, pointing out the major issues ASG faced this year, such the proposed outdoor drinking game ban and the controversial out-of-cycle student organization funding of $77,000 in March.

"There was a lot more to the position than I realized," Alexander said. "(It was difficult) dealing with stuff that comes to you … and facilitating the fallout."

ASG adviser, Dennis Roberts, said that he is very proud of the job that Alexander has done as student body president.

"(Alexander) was unusually able to connect with many people," Roberts said. "He was just a really good person, thoughtful and always trying to come to solutions."

Stepping into Alexander's shoes will be Jens Sutmöller, whose main goal as president will be improving academic advising at Miami and getting ASG to work with more ambitious legislative projects.

"I want to make sure student government is focused on serving the students … advocating for

students at every turn … (and) using the right people at the right time," Sutmöller said.

When asked what he will do when problems arise, Sutmöller said he will try to remain focused with his goals.

"Sometimes the biggest obstacles become the biggest issues, but you have to remember what you came in to do," he said.

Sutmöller also said he wants to be remembered as a president who helped fix long-term problems, such as improving academic advising, over accomplishing short-term goals like saving outdoor drinking games.

Sutmöller's predecessor, Alexander, just advises Sutmöller that he can't do his job alone.

"Make sure to seek input from a wide variety of people … don't proceed too fast with anything," Alexander said.

With regard to the future, Roberts is confident in Sutmöller and ASG next year.

"He definitely knows senate and the functioning of ASG," he said. "He is also trying to move it beyond what (ASG) has been accomplishing … We're going to tackle some big issues next year."

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