As incoming SG President Allen Richey and Vice President Jason Wesley get comfortable in their new offices, two former student body leaders looked back at their time in office and offered them some helpful advice.
Both outgoing president Darrell Broussard and 2001-2002 president Patrick McCune know the pleasures and trials of the SG executive office.
Broussard said his best advice is never to forget why they originally wanted to be student leaders.
“Always remember why you got into SG in the first place, and always keep that in mind,” Broussard said.
As a year full of responsibilities passed by, Broussard said it was a challenge for him not to lose the “fire and excitement” with which he took office. He is not worried about his successors, though, because he sees the same “fire” in Richey and Wesley he saw when they began in SG.
McCune said his best advice is for Richey and Wesley to use the executive officers they have appointed to help them accomplish their goals, because the job could be overwhelming without their help.
McCune said the new leaders have gotten a head start on this because they have appointed hard-working executive officers who will get the job done.
“Allen knows that you’re only as good as your team, and Allen’s team is amazing,” McCune said.
McCune reminded Richey and Wesley to use the approaching summer to get as much work done as they can and to not let anything get in the way of accomplishing the promises outlined on their push card.
Broussard reminded the incoming officers to strive to maintain a balance between their jobs in SG and their schoolwork.
“Definitely remember academics,” Broussard said. “It’s the sole thing that brought you to LSU and the thing that should keep you at LSU.”
Broussard said balance was his biggest challenge during his term in office. His continuing endeavor for balance was not just between SG and academics but also between SG and his personal life.
Both Broussard and McCune said they often were too busy to spend time with their families and friends during their terms.
“My family didn’t see me for an entire year,” McCune said. “My girlfriend barely saw me. The fact that she stuck by me shows her strength. My friends got mad. They said they had put me on loan for a year, and they wanted me back.”
Although balance was a challenge for him, McCune said his biggest trial was trying to accomplish his goals during his relatively short time in office.
“It’s a power-packed year,” McCune said. “Most administrators have years to accomplish goals; SG has 12 months. It’s a full-time administrator’s job squeezed into one year.”
Looking back on their terms in office, McCune and Broussard said the job’s rewards outweigh its challenges.
“I walk on campus now, and I see ADA ramps and I think, ‘I had a hand in that,'” McCune said. “Being able to know that you were a part of that makes you feel like you had a real impact.”
Despite the stresses of the job, McCune said it is rewarding to look back at the accomplishments made during his administration and the influence he was able to have on thousands of students.
McCune’s last piece of advice to Richey and Wesley was to make sure they enjoy their time in office.
Broussard wrapped up his advice by reminding the incoming officers to always “work hard, be determined and remember who they are.”