On a campus as large as Arizona State University, it can be easy to feel lost. The university’s newly elected Student Body President, Solomon Tyler, says the key to addressing that is transparency.
“I mean, you hear every single year, but that's probably the number one thing that’s most important,” said Tyler. “That’s because it’s what makes students feel like they have a seat at the table and that their voices are heard.”
After winning the election last week, Tyler is focusing on making the student government more accessible and easier to understand for the student body. A main focus of the campaign was to close the gap between students and the organization that's meant to represent them.
“They [students] have a true seat at the table and I want them to know where the money is going, why it’s going there and how they can benefit from these policies,” said Tyler. “The only way that can happen is if you’re transparent with them and you make it as transparent as possible.”
The emphasis on clarity comes in response to what Tyler described as a widespread lack of awareness about the student government’s role on campus. While campaigning, the Tyler ticket met many students who didn’t know what USG was.
“When you strip it down to its core, the student government serves as a voice for the student body,” Tyler said.
Beyond policy goals, Tyler described his leadership style as centered on empowering others within USG to take initiative and represent their peers.
“Leadership isn’t measured by how much you’re able to do, but it’s about how much you’re able to enable others to do great things,” Tyler said. “You give them all the tools necessary to do great things in the position.”
With that approach, the executive ticket promises that the student representatives understand the weight of their responsibilities for the next year.
“Their work has meaning. They’re the voice for all students,” said Tyler. “This is a massive campus… It’s really easy to get lost and feel like you have no one. But we’re all Sun Devils… we’re on the same team.”
Moving forward, Tyler and his executive ticket hope that a combination of transparency, outreach and community building will help reshape how students view USG and student government as a whole.