Student Government senators have raised concern over a sponsorship deal between the student body president, Lizzie Shaw, and Samsung.
Shaw, a political communications senior, is a part of the Samsung College Program as an influencer. Her involvement in the program entails promotional activities on social media for the tech company.
Several SG senators said that they worry the sponsorship conflicts with Shaw’s responsibilities as an elected leader. Shaw said that her involvement in the program is helping her pay for college and living expenses, and that it doesn’t conflict with her responsibilities as a student representative.
SG’s code was altered in 2021, now allowing the student body president to hold outside employment.
“My name is now permanently linked with [SG] and I understand that I am now essentially representative of it and therefore the things I endorse could look like endorsements from Student Government. I understand the counterargument,” Shaw said. “I don’t see it that way. I’ve never insinuated that Student Government would have a reciprocal relationship with Samsung, not that Samsung has a relationship with SG in the first place.”
Shaw also said she applied for a number of ambassador-influencer programs before her presidency or campaign, eventually being approached by Samsung. She interviewed for a sponsorship before the 2022 student government presidential election and was accepted in July.
“They never asked me to promote it to Student Government,” Shaw said. “Everything’s me personally. If I’m being completely honest, I was a little nervous about it because I knew that now I was more than a student.”
The Reveille spoke to 10 SG senators, two of whom agreed to speak publicly. Most senators said they don’t believe Shaw has ill intentions, but believe it sets a bad precedent for future SG members.
Others believe Shaw is using her office for private gain. Many of them bring up a picture of Shaw outside of her office holding a tablet she received as part of her sponsorship taken with her presidential office and placard in frame, posted on her Instagram.
Senator of the Graduate School Adam Dohrenwend said that using the student body president title and LSU logo in the same post for a sponsored ad presents an obvious conflict of interests.
“If she’s not using her office for personal, private gain, what’s happening?” Dohrenwend said. “It’s both physically the office and the office in the figurative sense.”
Regarding the picture, Shaw said she will be more deliberate about the way she portrays herself when representing her sponsorship in the future.
Dohrenwend and senator of the College of Engineering Colin Raby said they believe the student body president should be allocated enough money so that they don’t need to worry about their personal finances. Shaw said that her taking the presidential position resulted in a substantial pay decrease.
To Raby, who ran against Shaw in the presidential election, the precedent of a student body president holding a sponsorship isn’t something that should be endorsed, even if it’s technically allowed.
“It raises the question of who are you serving,” Raby said. “I don’t think we should have a very official example of our elected leaders serving themselves and using the influence of Student Government positions to aid in serving themselves.”
That ambiguity is something that shouldn’t happen in higher government, Raby said, so it shouldn’t happen in SG.
Dohrenwend said that many senators haven’t been forward with their concerns because they’re afraid of being sanctioned.
“I am deeply disheartened that sentiment exists,” Shaw said when asked about senators being hesitant to voice concern about the sponsorship. “I welcome any of them to speak to me directly. I never want senators, members of SG or any LSU student to feel that I am not open to conversation or critique.”
LSU Student Government president elect Lizzie Shaw says a few words of thanks to her supporters Tuesday, April 19, 2022, during the Inauguration of the 105th Student Government Administration at the LSU Memorial Tower.
