To my fellow Spiders,
“Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge.” -- Sir Winston Churchill
My name is Angelo Suggs Jr. and I am a junior, studying political science and history. As many of you may know, the election for Richmond College Student Government Association (RCSGA) president is being held this Tuesday, March 3, 2015.
Throughout this entire week, it has been a joy to share meals with students of varied and diverse backgrounds, who all have unique joys, concerns, desires and visions for what they believe will make a good campus great and a great campus greater. Your concerns have not fallen on deaf ears. After intently listening to your realm of concerns regarding our student government and campus, a common theme emerged.
The varied concerns were indeed complex issues (i.e. a parking solution, increased transparency of student government, increased school spirit, greater unity among those of different backgrounds). These concerns have been spoken of ever since I first arrived at 28 Westhampton Way. However, I am hopeful. Yes, I am hopeful. I am hopeful because out of these “intense complexities,” simple solutions have emerged. I should clarify that by simple, I do not mean easy, but even the greatest of architectural works require a foundation. That is what I intend to do. Build The Foundation.
To ensure a more transparent government, I will continue my efforts to release ‘Weekly Updates’ through social media. Thus far, I have posted over 35 videos on my ‘Sen. Angelo Suggs Jr.’ Facebook page, totaling 4 hours of video time (3 hours, 53 minutes to be exact). Furthermore, I have already begun speaking with the Center for Student Involvement, to devote an entire bulletin board in the Commons, to be utilized purely for student government postings. Also, as a fellow University of Richmond student, I understand that we Spiders are a busy breed and therefore, as student government hosts its Townhall Forums, I will work toward the provision of live-feed footage, for students on the go.
As this article is exemplifies, I value the power of written communication and will seek to explore the possibility of bi-weekly opinion editorial “President Addresses” in student publications. These are some of the ideas that, while surprisingly simple, will provide great dynamite for the destruction of the tower that exists between students and student government.
I also intend to continue on the path of the current president, in strengthening student connection with the board of trustees. I intend to strengthen this effort by hosting a Town Hall Forum with members of the board speaking to students and fielding questions.
With regards to parking, I believe that the first step to a long-term solution is to identifying the specific problems and concerns of students, so that we may get beyond the idea of ‘parking’ as a problem, and begin to see which specific areas are of student concern. Therefore, I will initiate the Student Government effort to speak with students, and oversee the drafting of an official document that outlines specific concerns that we would like the administration to address.
Lastly, I will seek to promote the budding diversity of our campus, by continuing the #MeetSomeoneNew campaign which consisted of a poster and social media campaign featuring students of different backgrounds taking deep interests in the hobbies, talents and unique gifts that each one possesses. Furthermore, I worked with the UR Film club to create the first ever RCSGA Martin Luther King Jr. Day video to honor a legend that exemplifies the RCSGA values of honor, duty and integrity. I should not forget the aim of greater school spirit, through ‘rivalry’-exchange clothing drives, continued concert events and working to make the attendance of our football team exemplary and worthy of the #OneRichmond brand.
The time has come. An intense simplicity has emerged.
My name is Angelo Suggs Jr. and I am a candidate for RCSGA president.
My best,
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
Angelo
Where to vote: https://wwws.richmond.edu/vote
When to vote: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Support independent student media
You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking the button below, which takes you to our secure PayPal account. The page is set up to receive contributions in whatever amount you designate. We look forward to using the money we raise to further our mission of providing honest and accurate information to students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the general public.
Donate Now
