An Interview with Taylor Biek

04.13.2021

Where are you from?
Albany, NY. I was born and raised there.

What are some of your hobbies?
I honestly don't have a ton of time to keep a hobby, but a few things I like to do periodically are drawing on my iPad, I am a Starbucks fanatic (it's an unhealthy hobby), going for walks with friends, and I do love to swim. Like I said, my full-time hobby is work but I do have a fun side that I can bring out.
Where is your favorite place to eat around Andrews?
I LOVE Nikki's Cafe, but I haven't been able to get there much this year. I also love this smoothie bowl place called Purely Pressed, but it's more on the Mishawaka side––so not super close.

Do you have a favorite genre of music?
I like pop and R&B, my favorite artists right now have to be Why Don't We and Ciara.

What are some of your plans for this summer? Are you looking forward to anything specific?
This year, unfortunately, is my last year at summer camp. I have been at Camp Cherokee for the last five to six years, including my CIT year. This year I'll be finishing as the Programming Director for the second year, but in previous years I've been the pool director as well. I think I'm the most excited about driving the boats, especially since this will be my last summer to do so. I will also be working hard on AUSA as well since August will come before we know it.

What was the reason that you decided to run for AUSA Social VP?
I ran last year, and honestly, I told myself that if I was given the chance again that I wouldn't take it. But when applications came around, I kind of felt like I should and with lots of support and pushing, I did it. Now that I have the job for next year, I feel very excited and full and can't wait to serve the student body next year!

What do you think is the biggest need of the student body here at Andrews?
I think the student body, for one, is in need of some interaction. Humans thrive off of social interaction and we are really deprived of that, this year especially. In addition to that, I think they need more communication as a whole, from AUSA, ADMIN, each other, etc. That goes hand in hand with the social atmosphere of Andrews as well I guess. I am a very social person, so I see everything from that point of view. Not seeing tons of people out on campus, especially with this beautiful weather, is weird for me. Not being able to go and sit and talk with a ton of people in the student center is disheartening as well.

Do you have any goals for next year about your new role?
I would like to have as many events as possible and try to pull the students back together, in holistic terms. We've had a really tough year and not a lot of socialization and I know that people are struggling. I'd like to create safe and fun events that everyone can enjoy because we really need it!

How do you plan to help revive the campus from the last year of COVID restrictions and isolation?
I know I can't do much about the restrictions within campus, but I am going to be diligent in making sure that we can have events that are as free and open as possible. If we need more events more often, then so be it. I want to make sure that there is more communication and that people know what's going on in their student government as well; people need to know that there are things actually going on. I can say that we are looking into banquet venues for an off-campus AUSA banquet next year, in hopes that we can actually go through with that.