New UWL Student Association President and Vice President elected

Photo+Courtesy+of+Patrick+Brever

Photo Courtesy of Patrick Brever

Miranda Martin, Staff Reporter

UWL Student Association has officially elected a new President and Vice President after elections were held on April 14, 2016. President Jacob Schimmel and Vice President Patrick Brever were officially sworn into their positions on May 4, when past Student Association President Kaylee Otterbacher and Vice President Molly Davies stepped down. These men will serve in their roles through the end of the 2017 school year.

Student Association, as stated by the official UW-La Crosse website, is a “student run organization that promotes, protects, and defends UWL student interests.”  Their goal is to represent what our students want for UWL’s campus, and the newly student-elected President and Vice President will strive to reach these goals.

President Jacob Schimmel has a vast background that qualifies him for this position, such as being involved with Student Association since his freshman year.  He has also held an RHAC position for his dorm, as well as serving as a Senator and participating in multiple Student Association committees. These leadership experiences will help him as he navigates through this next semester and helps make our campus a better place for all.

Schimmel is excited to get to work as Student Body President. “This is a position that demands hard work and a commitment to students, and I intend to do everything in my power to hold myself accountable to that. I’m very enthusiastic about the tools that I have to work with for this upcoming year to make a difference at UWL,” says Schimmel.

During his time in office, Schimmel would like to address the issue of sexual violence, as this is a matter he has always been passionate about.  Another social justice focus of his campaign is to bring students together and be inclusive. Bringing our campus to a united front where everyone feels a sense of belonging is a charitable goal that deserves recognition. Finally, Schimmel states that he has been “deeply committed to working on budgets,” trying to influence what UWL receives from state legislature and being a voice for the importance of education.  The more our students speak up for what we want, the more we will be heard.  

Vice President Patrick Brever is “humbled to have been elected into this position, and [he] looks forward to serving UWL.” He enjoys being involved with Student Association, as “it is a great opportunity to connect with students and share ideas…a great outlet to bring positive change to UWL and make this a better campus for all.”  

Brever is certainly not to be outdone experience-wise.  He currently serves as the State Affairs Director for UWL Student Association, and advises the Student Association executives and Student Senate on new bills that pass in state legislature, making the wordy language of complex bills easier to comprehend.

One of Brever’s favorite quotes, from the TV show The West Wing, is “decisions are made by those who show up.” He says that he “will not take this position for granted, and will ‘show up’ everyday to ensure that the student voice is heard at UWL.” Our Vice President is passionate about his responsibilities and excited about the prospect of tackling this new job.

Both men want UWL Student Association to be more well-known on campus. “It’s an extremely important tool for students to make a difference,” says Schimmel. Brever adds, “Student Senate is only effective when it is advocating for the students and the best way to do that is to know what the students want.”  Students should be able to voice their opinion and feel like what they say matters, say the representatives.

After graduation, Schimmel hopes to “be involved in making a difference in as many lives as [he] can.” He would like to go into some form of government, but is unsure precisely where he sees himself being involved.  Brever, on the other hand, would like to work for a non-profit organization, because he finds that “helping others is an important issue, and non-profit organizations are a great and effective way to do that.”  He also would consider running for public office at some point in the future. 

No matter what these two end up doing in the future, our newly elected Student Association President and Vice President will represent UWL well during their time in office as dedicated and hard workers representing the student body.