Alexis Anderson
Blue & White Flash / Staff Writer
A dream came true for Brian Wilks on April 12, 2012 when he was elected president of the Student Government Association at Jackson State University.
Wilks, a junior political science major from Prentiss, Miss., said he will spend his senior year trying to enhance the unity between the JSU student body and the SGA.
“As the next SGA president, I want to bridge the gap between the SGA and students. For the last three years, I have learned things from each president. It is a (tough) job, and I know I will have to work hard at it,” said Wilks, who ran unopposed for the top leadership position.
He added: “The SGA president’s job is to govern and that’s why I was elected. In the words of MADDRAMA, ‘God never chooses the qualified, but God always qualifies the chosen.’”
Wilks has been a part of student leadership since his freshman year and said he knows his strengths and his weaknesses, which will hopefully make him a prepared leader.
The Flash: What are your strengths?
Wilks: “I am a thinker. When there are issues presented, I can brainstorm solutions to solve them.”
The Flash: What are your weaknesses?
Wilks: My weakness is sometimes I take on too many responsibilities. It can be hard for me to say no to people sometimes. I am good at getting things done, but there are times where I am burnt out at the end of the day.”
Wilks said becoming SGA president is his opportunity to serve.
Wilks: “(Winning) is a humbling experience. I am excited about the title, but what can I do with the title? Being the SGA president can allow me to show the students that I am here to serve the people.”
The Flash: Why did you want to run for SGA president?
Wilks: “I saw issues within the student body that weren’t being addressed by the SGA. I saw issues that the average student was concern with. Some of the issues were lack of student involvement in participating in social events and not attending SGA meetings. There is a lack of interest from students to run for positions for the SGA. In previous years, I saw the SGA putting some issues to the side. I would like to do a better job of addressing them.”
The Flash: What is your platform and how do you plan to implement your ideas next year?
Wilks: “My platform is ‘Serving the People.’ I want to take the SGA outside of the four walls of the Student Center. I want to target freshmen and sophomores to show them more of what JSU has to offer. I want them to feel comfortable around the SGA and attending JSU. I want the SGA and the student body to think creatively. I want to have more hotspots for the students, and use the for public service announcements and to get the word out about SGA meetings or any forums on campus. I also want students to choose one community service program and an organization to support. I want students to be active as much as possible. I also want better publicity of the events; one of the reasons students don’t attend SGA meetings or other events, is because sometimes they don’t know about them.”
The Flash: You said you want to target freshmen students, what ideas do you have?
Wilks: The SGA and I are working on a scholarship for next year. It’s mainly for freshmen students, but all students can apply for it. The name of the scholarship is “Choose One.” It is a $500 scholarship where students would write a 500-word essay on why they think student involvement is important. The requirements are that students must have a 2.8 GPA and be full-time students. The scholarship will be given to one commuter student and one resident student. The SGA and I are currently working on it now, so it can be ready next year. I plan to announce it in August and have the applications ready in September.
The Flash: How do you feel about JSU’s image?
Wilks: “I think JSU is a great university. Like any other university, we have our small issues, but they are fixable. I think our President, Dr. Carolyn Meyers and her staff can take JSU to new heights. As new SGA leaders, we are here to serve the people and address issues that are relevant and important to the students and the university.”
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