We’ve just come to the end of what was an unfortunately routine LSU Student Government presidential election cycle, and John Woodard came out on top.

Congratulations, Woodard. And to T Graham S. Howell, you did an excellent job in the past two days of staying humble and respecting the process.

That’s rare in a leader, and you should stay involved at a high level with this university’s future, regardless of if it’s in SG.

I’ve been fortunate to see SG from three perspectives — involved with SG, uninvolved with SG and as a media member — in my time at LSU, and my opinion of it has changed little.

And so…

Dear John,

Welcome to the highest level of LSU Student Government.

As I’m sure you already know, and will definitely come to see, it has a lot of problems.

No matter how much time you spend vetting your executive staff, some of them will quit. Others that should won’t.

You’ll find barriers from above you — advisers, administrators, maybe even the governor’s office.

You’re also inheriting an image problem.

It’s more of a situation, really, as the entire student body hasn’t generally respected SG in a very long time, if ever.

There might be a little part of you that will want to blame the recent election board/University Court mess for this problem. Don’t.

SG’s problem has more to do with how the organization has always presented itself to students and the media than it does with any recent events.

I’ve got some suggestions for you.

I mentioned earlier that you’d have some members of SG who aren’t doing their jobs. That’s true, and there will be a lot of it.

But you’ll also have some members that are.

Find those people, focus on what they’re doing, empower them to keep doing it and, most importantly — at least in terms of your image problem — let the public know what’s done and why it’s important.

SG has never had good external communications, and you need to fix that if you want the organization to be respected.

Programs such as Chats with the Chancellor are great. They’re important, they’re topical and they should continue.

But most students don’t care about them.

Focus on things students do care about. Very few people have every heard of the Programming, Support and Initiatives Fund Committee.

PSIF is a pot of money that SG and its appointees dole out to student organizations for events.

PSIF is the most direct link SG can have to the students it represents — if they know about it.

Also, you should have someone working with The Daily Reveille consistently.

Welcoming the SG beat writer to your meetings is fine and dandy, but nobody is going to be impressed with what is discussed there.

Instead, you should have someone who maintains a real relationship with the SG writer at all times. This person should go out of his or her way to meet with the Reveille and let it know what SG does.

Things like hosting community service programs and passing Senate bills that directly fund students who are doing great things and representing LSU abroad should be discussed each week, with not only with the Reveille, but with Tiger TV and KLSU, as well.

Also, don’t underestimate your potential influence.

You’re an elected official who represents roughly 30,000 people. Talk to The Advocate and our local broadcast stations.

There’s no reason you and your — no offense, John — better-spoken vice president, Taylor Parks, can’t be on one of those early morning talk shows telling the Greater Baton Rouge community what LSU and its students are doing.

Having said that, your focus should be on LSU Student Media. They are primarily concerned with what you are: advocates for the well being of Louisiana State University and its students.

Lastly, I challenge you to do something every SG president always says they’re going to but rarely do.

Work with your election opponent. In the debate, T Graham seemed to be fairly knowledgeable about the state legislature, and he put in a lot of work with elected officials on the House and Senate committees that will be most influential in future budget cut situations.

If he’s willing, you should help him put that work to good use.

Good luck, John, and get a lot of sleep this summer.

You’ll need it.