By Annie Grow
Even though the BYUSA President and vice presidents are changing, the BYUSA slogan will not change.
“This year we are thinking of keeping the same slogan, `Experience More` to show that BYUSA has not changed,” said Rob Foster, BYUSA student body president 2002-2003.
The new BYU student representatives for the school year 2002-2003 are as follows:
Rob Foster, Student Body President
Eisha Tengelsen, Student Body Vice President
Jordana Choucair, Student Advisory Council Vice President
Stephanie Bishopp, Vice President of Campus Activities
Misa Matsumori, Community Service President of the Jacobsen Center
Shawn Ram, Vice President of Clubs
Natalie Cook, Vice President of Public Relations
Joel Connett, Vice President of Technology
This years BYUSA officers for 2001-2002 were able to pass a physical torch to the 2002-2003 officers on April 10, 2002. The swearing in of the new officers took place on top of the Kimball tower.
“We have the ceremony on the roof because The Kimball tower is the highest building on campus,” Foster said. “It is so the new officers can get a feel of how big BYU really is before they begin their term of office, which begins the first day of spring term.”
In years past BYUSA has been the official student voice to the administration.
“This year we will reach out the students more,” Choucair said. “We will let them know there is an organization on campus that is concerned and we will try and help the students make their BYU experience a little bit more positive.”
The Vice presidents of BYUSA are planning to have representatives present at student activities so the students” voice can be heard and the ideas to change and mold BYU can be accomplished.
“This year at the soap box and other activities we want to make sure that we have representatives from the Student Advisory Council present,” Choucair said. “We want to meet and reach to students on a one-on-one basis and get student”s names and numbers to keep them updated on how their concerns are being heard.”
BYUSA this next year will serve more as a link, so all organizations can work together, not just independently. “When volunteers come into BYUSA they sometimes do not know which programs are available,” Cook said. “So we will work with the volunteers that come in to have a meaningful experience,” said Cook.
If students don”t want to get involved, but have suggestions on what BYUSA can do for them, contact Natalie Cook at .
This next school year the community service section of BYUSA will be located in the Jacobsen Center.
“Moving into one area will help the programs stay alive and strong,” Matsumori said. “We will keep building strong relationships with the community and build up a firm foundation in the Jacobsen Center. This will also give service learning opportunities for the BYU students.”
How is BYUSA organized?
“BYUSA is an organization and no organization is perfect,” Bishopp said. “BYUSA is not a student government, it”s a student service organization. We are designed to give students the opportunity to give back to the community.”
BYUSA pleads for opinions and suggestions on improvements.
“No one is perfect. This next year we will need constant improvements,” Ram said. “People look at BYUSA and expect perfection, but BYUSA is student driven and we will make mistakes.”
BYUSA creates an atmosphere on campus that students can interact such as dances and clubs, Connett said.
“If you do not look for opportunities you”ll miss out because that”s what makes BYU exciting,” Bishopp said. “Whether you get involved or not, the BYU students need to make the most of BYU. Step out of the comfort zone and show appreciation.”
BYUSA focuses on the students” happiness not the amount of attendance at activities.
“We focus on the quality of the students experience,” Foster said. “Not the amount of people who show up to the activities.”
At the swearing in the 2001-2002 officers were able to hand over an object to the incoming officers, so the new officers will be able to remember what they represent throughout next year.
“For example the technology area gave a keyboard symbolizing technologies best friend, which is normally the keyboard,” Foster said.
There is a history of each program BYUSA is in charge of throughout the year.
“There are at least 130 histories that are written so people in the future will know how we ran the programs and how to improve upon the activities,” Foster said.
