Joseph Liberto didn’t always see himself as the face of LSU Student Government.

But now, as student body president, the New Orleans native is reshaping how SG connects with students, bringing a fresh perspective to the role.

From Jesuit High School to LSU

Liberto’s journey began at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, where his early leadership experiences laid the foundation for his approach to student government at LSU.

“I loved Jesuit. I was Student Body President there,” he reflects. “Leadership is leadership, if you’re able to lead in high school, you can lead in college – it’s just bigger and takes more effort.”

And bigger it certainly is.

Managing a campus of over 30,000 students is a stark contrast to the 1,000-student environment the international trade and finance junior once knew.

“It’s not pep rallies anymore,” Liberto said.

But for Liberto, the transition wasn’t just about scale. It was about maintaining the personal touch he honed in high school.

“It’s the little things, like smiling in the hallways,” he explained, “making people feel welcome and talking to them.”

Liberto highlighted that this sense of community, no matter how large, is at the core of his leadership style.

“It was the same thing in high school,” he said. “At Jesuit, I just wanted to make sure everyone felt heard, and I wanted everyone to know who I was so if they ever needed something, I was there.”

His openness is a trait the Student Senate’s Speaker Pro Tempore Ethan Elmer appreciates.

“Joseph is excellent at socializing with people. He genuinely desires to connect with people and hear their concerns, as do all members of the Student Government,” said Elmer, a computer science junior.

“He is also very humble, willing to learn and willing to put himself where he’s needed, whether on the front lines, interacting with people or helping things run smoothly behind the scenes,” Elmer said. “He always shows genuine joy in doing whatever he is tasked with.”

Liberto didn’t start out as the typical SG insider.

“Coming in, we didn’t really know the ins and outs,” Liberto said. “Now we know it like the back of our hand.”

He instead focused on his fraternity and philanthropy work. His background as philanthropy chair of Kappa Sigma’s LSU chapter and board member of Hams for Fams, a New Orleans-based nonprofit, provided him with organizational skills and an understanding of student needs.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without them, they really had my back,” Liberto said about his fraternity brothers in Kappa Sigma. “It was just simple stuff like, ‘Do I look good in this picture?’” he joked.

“I think the thing that stuck with me from high school, and maybe this is just New Orleans, but it’s about making connections when you don’t really need to,” he said. “That goes a long way with people.”

With this approach, Liberto and his running mate, Amelia Carman, centered their campaign on making SG more accessible. Vice President Carman described Liberto as a “go-getter” who is “constantly working to better the student body.”

“We have worked very hard on building a team and getting initiatives pushed out,” Carman said.

Winning The Greek Vote

One of the key strategies behind Liberto’s electoral victory was his connection to LSU Greek life. Both Liberto and Carman leveraged their positions within their respective fraternity and sorority to mobilize the most powerful voting bloc on campus.

“Greek is 30% of campus, and it’s the most active voter bloc too,” Liberto said. “We just reached out to our friends – both me and Amelia are very active in our fraternity and sorority.”

By securing this active voter base, Liberto and Carman were able to establish early support around their campaign.

Angel Shot Initiative

One initiative Liberto wants to implement at bars near LSU’s campus is the Angel Shot initiative, a safety measure designed to help students who feel unsafe in bars or social venues. Developed in collaboration with “We’re Committed,” an SG department focused on interpersonal violence advocacy, education and prevention, the initiative would enable students to discreetly signal for help by ordering an “angel shot.”

By ordering an “angel shot” in different flavors – strawberry, mango or lime – a bartender can understand the type of assistance needed, whether it’s standing behind the bar for a moment, intervention from security or notifying law enforcement.

“There’s no reason LSU students shouldn’t be safe,” Liberto said. “I think it’s time that we have more safety in the bars themselves.”

This initiative was a part of campaign’s attack on the Red Zone, the name for the months August to November in which reports of sexual assault on college campuses are at a high, with as many as 50% of cases being reported in these four months according to the Center For Women and Families.

“When we started making policy to run on, something that was important to me was Red Zone awareness, so we’ve been working on [the] Angel Shot initiative,” Carman said.

Bridging the Gap

The cornerstone of Liberto’s administration has been increasing SG’s visibility on campus, making sure students not only know about SG, but also feel comfortable engaging with it.

“Joseph has focused heavily on increasing the visibility of Student Government to the larger student body,” Elmer said. “While this has always been discussed, Joseph is approaching it in a unique way by putting himself in front of as many students as possible and shaking as many hands as possible.”

According to Elmer, “Joseph has a unique ability to remember the names and faces of people, and he is very good at following up with students who see him at events.”

Liberto says this aspect extends beyond policies.

“A lot of it is just being out there. If you put yourself out there you’ll meet some good people.”

And how does the president manage to stay organized through it all? Liberto says, “Outlook calendar, man. Outlook calendar is your best friend.”

As the academic year continues, the true test of Liberto’s presidency may lie not in the early successes, but in how well he and his team can navigate whatever challenges are ahead. But in the meantime, Liberto is ready to help students, no matter the challenge they are facing.

“My door is always open, I try to be in here as much as I can,” Liberto said. “We’ve been hounding the SG email, so if anyone has a problem, email [email protected].”