The officers of the Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) serve as the voice for the student community. According to the Andrews University handbook, “All undergraduate students taking at least five credits are automatically members of the Andrews University Student Association.” The individuals who have chosen to commit this year to leadership have dedicated their time to each of those students, putting effort into making the 2021-22 year full of good experiences and meaningful memories.
The University’s handbook explains that the duty of the AUSA officers is to “serve the University community and contribute to the fuller unfolding of the Adventist program of education.” They are responsible for organizing student activities, expressing student opinions, and utilizing leadership skills in organization and administration.
Dongchan Kim (senior, religion), AUSA president, has found that his favorite parts of his job are the interactions and personal connections he has been able to make with fellow students. He says, “The most important part of my role is to be the chief representative and spokesperson of the AUSA as well as to protect the rights of AU students. My team, including myself, is working very hard to achieve that goal and it has been a fantastic journey so far.”
T Bruggemann (junior, computer science and physics), executive vice president, affirms, “I have some really great friends on the team, and I’ve loved working with them.” As the chair and manager of the AUSA Senate, he goes on to note, “AUSA impacts the Andrews community a lot, though people may not always notice.”
The Student Association officers have worked both behind the scenes and up on stage to bring positive change onto campus. Although they have had to work around Covid precautions and disruptions, they haven’t stopped searching for ways to bring people together. T states, “A big thing we’re working on this semester is making some internal changes to how AUSA runs.” With those changes currently in the works, AUSA continually welcomes student voices and responses, seeking new methods to improve student life.
So far, the AUSA team has found unique ways to interact with the campus community despite the continued pandemic challenges. Over winter break, they coordinated transportation to and from the Chicago O’Hare airport. They have also hosted multiple events, from winter semester’s open gym and Christmas party to this semester’s recent AU’s Got Talent and AUSA Sabbath.
Taylor Biek (senior, exercise science), social vice president, has been enjoying the responsibility of planning the events for all undergraduates on campus, utilizing her talents in organization to bring them to life. She explains, “It’s been hard for [students] to be on campus or in quarantine, so to know that we as officers can counteract that and create something that students can come to and enjoy and destress is a blessing … My job in particular allows students to come together and enjoy something out of the box, or just to come together as friends and make new friends.”
Responding to student feedback, the AUSA officers have been thoughtfully planning out new events in the coming months and, as Taylor reveals, “We have a lot of exciting events coming up this semester!”
Students are invited to join AUSA at Howard Park in South Bend for an ice skating event on February 5. Beginning at 7 pm, the gathering will offer food and drinks, as well as a fun time with friends. The team will also be hosting a dodgeball tournament at the end of February, and the AUSA banquet is planned for March 13th. Additionally, students can look forward to a drive-in movie night and international weekend fashion show in April. Updates and additional information can be found at weareausa on Instagram and Facebook, and individuals can sign up through a link found on their social media pages.
Dongchan voices his hope that the coming semester will allow for further personal connection and participation within the Andrews community. He expresses, “AUSA exists as a right and for the benefit of the Andrews University student body. It is our highest duty and mission of AUSA to consider the interests and needs of the students above all else. To that end, the Student Association shall strive to create a university community where the needs of students are met, the rights of students are respected, and the voices of students are heard.”
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.