For Brooke Schmidt, senior Spanish major and new president of Associated Student Government, getting involved on campus changed her whole perspective of ESU.

“When I got here as a freshman, I wasn’t involved at all, and so I was kind of like ‘Eh, I don’t like it here,’” Schmidt said, “ but the second I got involved in an organization, it took off from there.”

Schmidt, an active student leader on campus, has held many positions, including being the president of her sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and president of Alternative Spring Break.

“I have always loved being involved with campus life,” she said. “I’m in Greek life, I was a community hornet and I’ve been in Sigma Alpha Lambda, and those really just inspired me to grow my passion for student life and student involvement.”

She said that while participating in Day under the Dome last year she realized there was more she could be doing on campus.

Schmidt said her most important goal for her time as ASG president was to be an advocate for the students.

“I think it’s just really trying to feel for the pulse of what students want here on campus,” Schmidt said. “I’m not going to go out there and try to do my own goals and my own ambitions. I’m here to serve the students.”

Stuart Sneath, vice president of ASG and senior sociology major, who has previously been an ASG senator, said that he has been helping Schmidt with the day-to-day procedures of ASG, but she was already well-prepared in the area of leadership.

“The biggest thing is the procedure of ASG that people don’t understand, but we’ve worked on that a lot over the summer,” Sneath said.

Sneath and Schmidt both said that one of ASG’s top priorities was to get their name out to the students and get them more involved in student government.

“I think something that’s wrong is that we’re (students) not taking advantage of everything that’s offered. ASG is there to be your voice, and senators are there to represent you,” Schmidt said. “There’re a lot of awesome services on campus, and if you just try to go out there and find them you can make the best of your student life here.”

Sam Beye, graduate student in school counseling and returning senator, said that she liked the fresh take Schmidt has on student involvement and her style of leadership.

“She seems to be in it not just for the politics, like some are. She seems to be more in it for the students,” Beye said. “She’s more student oriented, I think.”

Beye said that her experience in ASG and in other positions of leadership throughout ESU help her to be a role model for other students.

Sneath said the senators are excited to be advocates for students and that the administration was one of the best advocates students have.

“Dr. (Jim) Williams has really encouraged us….Dr. Shonrock has been huge. He is the best advocate for students, next to Brooke and I, I would say, so that’s really what I’m excited for, the relationship students can have with the administration,” Sneath said.

Sneath said as a part of the plan to get the university RSO’s to work together ASG will be introducing Hornet Squad, which will be a monthly meeting of RSO presidents to improve communication between campus groups.