Reviewing ASG leadership: A year of challenges and achievements

Approximately one year ago, Associated Student Government (ASG) Student Body President Daniel Martin and Student Body Vice President Kirsten Osteboe were elected. As candidates, they ran on a platform consisting of four pillars including civic engagement, community building, transparency and leading from behind. From building a stronger partnership between Miami University and the city of Oxford to aluminum can drives, this administration has emphasized leadership development.

One of Martin’s proudest accomplishments reflects the outward-looking focus he has worked to cultivate.

“I’m most proud of our Town and Gown council that Kirsten and I helped spearhead,” Martin said. “We wanted to form a more concrete relationship with the city of Oxford, and enhance community engagement.”

The Town and Gown council brings together student leaders such as Martin and Osteboe, local officials, such as the assistant city manager, and other public safety professionals, like the police and fire chiefs, to have monthly discussions addressing shared concerns between Miami and the Oxford community.

For Osteboe, fostering the relationship between the university and the city is a top priority.

“I’m proud of how myself and my cabinet have contributed to paving new paths and helping to rebuild a community between the city of Oxford and undergraduate students,” Osteboe said.

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Leadership development has been a front-and-center approach for Martin and Osteboe, who have both utilized student programming to help educate students and instill confidence in professional settings.

Osteboe highlighted the Connections Dinner, a professional development and networking event, as one of her signature achievements.

“I was able to bring 100 undergraduate students and 50 faculty members together ... for an etiquette dinner and networking, even, to begin to build bridges,” Osteboe said.

ASG Senator Quin Ahler said he noticed the inclusive nature of Martin and Osteboe’s leadership styles.

“Danny wants people that work under him to hone in on their own talents, and he does that by giving everyone an opportunity to speak,” Ahler said.

Ahler also said he believed the administration’s civic engagement pillar was a big success and that heightened civic engagement led to other positive changes like the aluminum can drive, which was organized in partnership with Miami’s Sustainability Office and a local recycling company.

“From all the data that I’ve seen, the aluminum can drive has been very successful,” Ahler said.

Yet, Martin and Osteboe both said they faced challenges throughout their term.

“The biggest challenge we faced was outreach,” Osteboe said. “Not as many [students] check their email as we thought.”

Martin is still working to bring a philanthropy festival to campus, a goal he had while running for student body president; however, coordinating with multiple student organizations has proven to be more difficult than expected.

To remedy the obstacles to outreach, both leaders underscored approachability and intentional listening as solutions.

“Being everyone’s friend and having love in your heart is definitely the biggest mindset,” Martin said. “I let other people speak first, so they can describe what they’re expecting of me as Student Body President.”

ASG Senator Catherine Conner said accessibility is an evident priority of the administration, and Martin and Osteboe have been very visible on campus.

“Danny and Kirsten made an effort to meet the students at a lot of tabling events where students could talk to them in Armstrong,” Conner said. “They made themselves very available and advertised their presence. Students were able to get their voices heard.”

Both leaders hope to see some of their initiatives continue into the incoming administration of Charlie Merril and Susanne Morrissey.

Osteboe hopes faculty continue to be recognized for the work they do and students receive consistent communication on campus events.

“I hope the Outstanding Professor Awards will continue,” she said. “The main thing I would love to see … is continued collaboration … to bridge the gap between what’s happening on a university level and what students are being informed of.”

slarkgj@miamioh.edu