Kishan Patel
freshman
pre-dental major

Why are you running for Vice President of Academic Affairs?
I believe it gives me the opportunity to expand and develop the students’ opportunities that come with being a Gannon student — and expose them to those opportunities.
The Vice President of Academic Affairs isn’t just in charge of that, they’re also in charge of elections and bringing people into SGA.
So I believe that creating that community and diversity in SGA — like Zubda [Khokhar] already has this year ­— and continuing to expand upon that, is one of my strong suits as a social butterfly.
And it gives me an opportunity to allow people to be more involved and have more opinions and be a holistic view of the student voice.

What are your goals if elected?
I want to make the process and SGA itself more well-known and everything that we do more well-known, so people truly interested can come in and have that opportunity to see changed what they want to see changed — [including] the issues that they see on campus.
While also making our academics and meeting with the vice presidents of the university, and making sure that our academics are on par with the students and what they need — not just what the university provides, but make sure what the university is providing is what the students truly need. Whether that be more online classes [or] more study spaces, [like] extending hours in Beyer.
Because I know right now a lot of people want to study there, but it’s like “Oh you gotta go,” but why wouldn’t we have that if that’s what our students need? And really focusing on making sure what we provide is what our students need, not just that “It’s easy to provide, so we’re going to provide it.”
I know that the [new] library is just making it easier for students already, academic-wise.
They’re going to have a quiet space and kind of like the collaborative space like we have in Beyer – but it’s going to be more so the STEM and tutoring centers, and making them more of a viable option for students.
Part of becoming and being a leader is also going with the flow and understanding that the answers aren’t going to be there beforehand.
You’re going to have to be able to act on it immediately and spur of the moment. So I feel like the library’s already incorporating the students’ needs, and SGA is already giving that input.
Obviously if I’m elected to this position, it will be more [on] me to focus on the academic needs, and make sure what is provided is truly what students need.

Why should students vote for you?
I ran with Mackenzie [Wenrick] for president’s chief of staff, and our notion was that people should vote for us because everything we do is going to be the students’ vision, and their wish is going to be my vison.
It’s not about what I want to see or what I believe is the problem. It’s what our student body believes is the problem, and the student body believes it needs to change.
Every decision I make and every act I do under SGA, just how I conduct myself, will be in that regard of the vision of the student body.

Is there anything else you want students to know about you?
Not necessarily, except the fact SGA is for the students, and I believe on behalf of the General Assembly that we all believe that SGA is always working toward the students’ betterment. No matter who’s going to be elected to the position, I can confidently say that that will be the case. And to come with us [SGA] with any comments or suggestions. We’re always open to them [and] we always need them.

KELSEY GHERING
[email protected]