Chloe Dickson
Student Writer
The Student Government Association has been busy welcoming students, returning and new, to campus. You may have spotted SGA President, Todd Abbott, running from event to event. In a rare moment of free time, Abbott paused to give us a glimpse into his life and presidency.
As students are settling into their classes, how have you settled into the presidency?
“Being able to return in July and spend the latter half of summer preparing for the year ahead was an immense help. While Welcome Week meant the joy of seeing fresh faces join our community, it also brought a plethora of stresses and responsibilities as we worked to ensure its success and the smooth return of our upperclassmen. Thankfully, SGA is blessed with an inspiring and supremely talented team of six Vice Presidents who work tirelessly to ensure that our campus rests in good hands.”
What were your concerns in becoming President?
“I was originally concerned for the balance of all that would fall on my shoulders, particularly in tandem with a heavy academic semester and the weight of planning for the post-grad transition. However, our wonderful cabinet has been incredibly supportive and made the process much more realistic.”
I know Todd Abbott plans for everything; is there anything about this job that took you by surprise?
“The level of involvement and effort put forth by offices in planning for campus leadership training and Welcome Week blew me away, and I certainly have a new respect and thankfulness for the smooth orientation process and onboarding that I enjoyed over the past three years.”
What should First-Year students know about SGA? How can students voice their opinions and concerns?
“First, know that the door to meet with anyone on SGA is always open, and we truly do love to connect with and get to know everyone! Even if there’s something that we can’t directly help with, we’re more than happy to follow up and ensure that the question finds its way to the person that can help. So then, we hope that no one ever hesitates to use us as a starting point with questions, concerns and ideas for campus. Also, as first years may not yet know, the presidency is an annually-elected role, and everyone has the chance to vote (or even run!) this coming spring.”
What is next on your agenda?
“Our first major event of the year, “Where Do Your Tuition Dollars Go?” hits Hostetter on October 1 at 7:00 p.m. Past that, we’re still working hard behind the scenes to get our new master calendar up and running, and hope that everyone has been enjoying the new yogurt smoothies in the Union!”
What song gets you motivated?
“Lately, I’ve had the new Panic! At the Disco album on repeat, but classic Billy Joel songs are always a key to success.”
If you were a Disney character, who would you be?
“Though (V.P. of Organizations) Brian Gilroy has already christened my codename as Mickey Mouse, I’ve always had a soft spot for Woody in Toy Story and Milo Thatch in Atlantis.”