From a first-generation college student to student body president, Lavar Henderson hopes to highlight campus voices from all different backgrounds throughout his term.

“I think an important piece is making sure that you have everyone at the table, listening to their concerns and seeing what they think,” Henderson said.

Henderson, a native of Houma, was named student body president in May after a whirlwind election. He plans to engage and support the student body as he works to make their lives more “convenient” going forward.

The political communication senior has been an active member in Student Government throughout his four years at LSU, this year serving as a student member to the LSU Board of Supervisors.

Henderson wants to focus on inclusion by listening to students and trying to meet their needs. He emphasized that not everyone may like or agree with a decision, but that it is important to him to listen to their concerns.

During the election, Henderson and Layrisson campaigned with an “Our Students First Agenda,” a take on former LSU President William F. Tate IV’s “Scholarship First Agenda” with a focus on student affairs.

“It was great for things like research and stuff, but we wanted to focus on student convenience at LSU,” Henderson said.

This year, Henderson and Layrisson plan to bring back the president’s cabinet. This is a way for different organizations to meet and converse with the president and vice president to achieve their goals. Leadership among campus organizations would be part of the president’s cabinet, including Greek Life, student media and other groups.

Henderson also prioritizes getting the Tiger Trails bus system to run in a more timely manner, which he noted is important with the changes to parking this semester. Henderson noted the inconvenience students face when they can’t find parking or when students are trying to schedule classes and the system keeps crashing. He highlighted these as things he would like to work on for the student body.

Social media is going to be a big mode of engagement for students. Henderson says he is not the savviest when it comes to social media, but he wants to work on his skills to reach out and let the public know what’s going on. With recently acquiring a full staff, there will be changes to the SG social media and the way it is run.

Henderson and Layrisson are also working closely with university administration to find solutions for disability services. The goal is to make sure those services are easier and more accessible for students who need them.

SG has been working closely with Interim President Matt Lee, Dean of Students Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, Interim Provost Troy Blanchard, the Board of Supervisors and others in order to accomplish their goals. He acknowledged that they have been great partners so far in his term and all share the goal of getting students what they want and need.

“It really shocked me because you don’t really see people talking, especially in these positions, taking vested interest in your students like they do,” Henderson said.

All levels of governance at the university are working together to make sure what SG supports is getting accomplished. Henderson noted that they are lucky to be working with them and that when everyone is on the same page, the “sky’s the limit.”

Regarding athletics, Henderson’s goals are more focused on students’ experiences. He wants to accomplish initiatives like getting mobile ordering into Tiger Stadium and accessible golf carts around campus for gameday. In addition to these, SG launched the Tiger Lounge this semester, a Parade Ground tailgate for students with free food, non-alcoholic drinks and fans.

Alongside these new initiatives, SG will be establishing a new task force for students to join to get involved. This task force will be committed to philanthropic service throughout the LSU and Baton Rouge communities.

Henderson expressed the importance of doing the work and having these conversations. He explained these are 50/50 situations, half having the conversations and the other half taking action. He says this is his philosophy for his entire term.

“In the Student Government world, sometimes we get lost in our own priorities, so we are trying to put more of an emphasis on that everyday student approach,” Henderson said.