HC Boise State got a fabulous opportunity this week to sit down with the big man on campus: Ryan Gregg, the face of student body government. If being the president of ASBSU doesn’t make you a campus celebrity, what the heck does, am I right?
Ryan has been involved in student government at Boise State for four years, including his two terms as president. He is twenty-three years old, a Boise native, senior, and political science major. This week, he talked to HC Boise State about some pretty hefty stuff: his campaign to be president, the inner workings of student government, and relevant student issues on campus. But we also leeched on his wisdom on how he plans to survive a zombie apocalypse and his favorite restaraunt in downtown Boise (and what to order). Happy reading!
HC Boise State: Tell us a little bit about your mission and campaign to be president.
Ryan Gregg: The year I made the decision to run for president was a really critical time for student government. We had had two good presidents that had changed the structure of government from a three-branch to a two-branch. We created an executive council with legislative authority. I thought we needed somebody who knows where student government has been, who knows how the current government operates, and who wants to keep it that way. It is important for students to know that their student government CAN change for the better. And once it does, we should keep it that way. I’ve had a lot of experience with funding and gathering student opinion. As I was preparing to campaign I thought to myself… is there anybody who can do this job better? I think that when you run for an elected position you should feel confident that you are the man for the job.
HC: What inspired you to be involved in student government in the first place and how did you get to where you are today?
RG: My family has been at Boise State for a really, really long time. We’ve had at least one person here every decade since the 1950’s. Boise State is a big deal for me and my family, and I absolutely love it. I immediately got involved with my hall council when I lived in Taylor, and became the president of that… that was what enabled me to win a seat on the senate. Freshmen don’t usually win. Basically, I had such a good first and second year at Boise State that I wanted to do something to give back. This is the way I’m doing that and trying to make other student experiences as good as mine has been. Student government has been a really beneficial on-the-ground experience for me in that way. I get to work with some of the best people as part of ASBSU. We are so lucky on our campus to have administrators who care about our students and know that without students, there is no university.
HC: What is the most heated student issue that you’ve come across this year?
RG: I’ve found out that on campus, there are pretty different views on what makes a controversial issue. The Chick-fil-A incident a couple of years ago outraged me immediately. This was a huge national issue: when Chick-fil-A when public with anti-gay sentiments. On most college campuses, that would create a lot of buzz and a lot of criticism. I put together a letter saying if students were concerned, they should come and talk to us. But we heard from less than 10 students. Boise State’s experience with that particular issue was very apathetic.
It showed me that unless students feel directly disadvantaged, they will not react to these issues. You can contrast that scenario with the rec field. The rec field outside the student union was sandy, had crappy grass, poor drainage… the football team offered to pay to revamp the field if they got to use it between June and November. Students were outraged, saying things like, “Athletics is going to take the field and never give it back!” It was horrible. We had 200 students in a frenzy all at the same time. But athletics knew we didn’t have the money to fix the field, and it reas really a great deal for us. Students were expecting some sort of power grab, though. But November 1st of this year rolled around and the rec field got returned as expected. That’s the biggest issue we’ve faced in this calendar year. But as far as Fall 2013 goes, I would say we haven’t faced a lot of issues. It’s a mix between doing things that help students and not doing things that are sh*tty. Both of those things have to be working for people to not have complaints.
HC: What student issue resonates with you the most? Where does your greatest passion lie in student government and student issues?
RG: I am most sensitive as a student to the fact that money or a lack thereof can control your college experience. It is really important for me to focus on how we can alleviate some of that pressure on students. We are working with the legislature to try and get more money so we don’t have to increase tuition next year. Even though we are relatively inexpensive compared to our sister schools in the region, it still costs money to go here and that is a burden for many students. Ideally, we want students to take a risk for a while and go to school in lieu of working, so that they will be more educated and make more money and be a better citizen in the future. As student body president, it’s fine for me to worry about what kind of toilet paper is on campus or where the longboards can go in the BRC so nobody trips, but it is a really big deal for me personally to help students not pay more than they have to.
I also like to focus on money for student roganziations. Half of your experience or more in college is academic, depending on what kind of student you are, but the rest is extracurricular. To be a successful student, you have to be involved in academics and those outside things too, because otherwise you miss stuff. You may know how to be mechanical engineer, but do you know how to work with other people and to navigate beauracracy, for example? Are you learning those valuable skills and having those valuable experiences? Those are the kind of experiences I want to provide at little to no cost to students.
Favorite color? I always say blue. Yellow is becoming a very close second, but blue is my go-to.
Favorite food? Apples. Gala apples. They are my favorite.
Favorite spot on campus? Starbucks in the library. They love me there and I love them back.
What’s your go-to order? I have seasonal orders. My current seasonal order is a peppermint mocha with an extra shot of espresso. Normally, my regular is a vanilla latte.
Favorite saying or quote? “Help me, Rhonda!” I was raised Catholic, and you aren’t supposed to take the Lord’s name in vain, right? My Grandma’s sister came up with “Help me, Rhonda!” — like from the song. Now I say it a lot. It’s ridiculous but I say it all the time.
Favorite movie? Titanic. I love that movie, I could watch it all the time.
Favorite song? I am all about Lady Gaga’s new album ArtPop. I have it in my car and I listen to it constantly.
Favorite restaraunt? I love Fork downtown on 8th and Idaho. It’s very reasonably priced. I always get the Grown-up Grilled Cheese. It has really good cheddar, carmelized onions, tomato jam, and they serve it with these rosemary-parmesan french fries. It’s delicious.
Greatest fear? Zombies. It’s a paralyzing fear. If it’s real, there is no way to escape it. But you have to read about it, obviously, so you know what to do if it hits.
Plans after graduation? I want to just rest and take a break. It’s been four years of school and ASBSU. I want a job where I’m helping people, not just working to make money… I’ve thought about the Legislature and the Democratic Party, but honestly I just want to go to work and help people, then go home and veg. It’s been four years of round-the-clock and I’m ready for a break.