T Bruggemann

Major: Computer Science & Physics
Desired Position: Executive Vice President

Platform:  My favourite aspect of Andrews University is the student community it fosters. It's the reason I left a university ranked in the top 10 in the world to come here, and it’s the reason I keep coming back. In light of this, you can believe that I care very deeply about the needs of the community and how it is run. There is perhaps no better position from which to directly affect those needs than Executive Vice President, assistant to the AUSA President and chairperson of the Student Senate. As the student body’s voice of change on campus, the Senate is intrinsically involved in fixing issues on campus and works constantly to improve students’ qualities of life. The potential of serving as the head of this group excites and motivates me, as it will allow me to have a significant and tangible positive impact on this school and community, which, for many of us is our second home and family. My platform is not based merely on sunshine and goodwill, however. Conveniently, I am also quite qualified. I served the same position on my highschool’s Student Association, which taught me to effectively work with and manage a senate body. Combining this with my current work as a senator here at Andrews, and my interviews with the current AUSA EVP, Dongchan Kim, I can attest to a thorough understanding of the workings and responsibilities of the role. I am also committed to good ol’ bureaucratic processes and making sure they function smoothly and as intended. On becoming a senator, I immediately recognized the system we used to evaluate club Spirit Grant requests was problematic, to say the least, causing unnecessary strife among the Senate body and severely hampering our efficiency. Accordingly, I set out to overhaul the system to address these issues–researching, designing, and proposing a recently-approved amendment to the AUSA Constitution bylaws. I mention this to illustrate my love for systems, specifically polishing them to improve the workings of the governing bodies on campus, and therefore, the student community. As EVP, I will be perfectly poised to assist initial implementation of the new Spirit Grant system, as well as to discover new areas to improve and help other senators do so, also. All of which will improve student life for you. My values, experience, and leadership skills put me in an excellent position to contribute to our community at Andrews University. I am committed to student government and always strive to serve my school and fellow students in every way I can. I would be honoured to work for you: collectively, as the Andrews student body; and individually, if you see problems in your university experience or have ideas to improve it for others. If you see me around–I’m the one in shorts–I will always be open to hearing your ideas or concerns so we can work together as a student body to make our university the best it can possibly be.