Her Campus American got a chance to sit down with Student Government Vice President Jack Fitzpatrick to reflect on his year as VP. From bringing Bill Nye, Rae Sremmurd, and Karl Rove to campus, Jack is satisfied with what he accomplished.
Her Campus American University: Describe a rundown of a typical day of being vice president of student government.
Jack Fitzpatrick: No day is typical, it changes everyday. The way I manage my life is all over the place. On Mondays, I come into the office for early meetings all day. I have E-board meetings, one-on-one meetings with Kennedy Political Union and Student Union Board, go to class, attempt to do homework but I get distracted. I also have office hours and I’m eating all the time. I have night class from 8:10-10:40 p.m. then I go home to sit on the couch and watch Game of Thrones. I watch the first half hour because I fall asleep and then I wake up three hours later. On Thursdays, I do all my work from home until I come to campus for an event. Everyday is so different. I’m someone who takes each day and evaluates it and prioritizes it.
HCAU: Why did you choose to run for vice president?
JF: It was a big decision. I’ve been in the VP cabinet since freshman year. I did SOC undergraduate council for two years and I helped build that organization up. I went to SUB and did outreach my junior year. There were things I wanted to fix and wanted our programming to reflect the student body. I wanted to make sure every student had an event to be excited about. I also wanted more experience in project management and a high level overview role which has been helpful.
HCAU: What do you want to accomplish before the end of the school year?
JF: Spend zero. Make student activity fee money go to events that help students and benefit them. I want to spend this money wisely on actual programming. I want every student to have an event they feel they are attached to. I want it to be in a few years: “When I was in college…we had blah blah blah come to campus.”
HCAU: How have you grown as a person during your time on SG?
JF: I learned about criticism. I am someone who always tries to make people happy. It’s nearly impossible to keep everyone happy. It’s hard when people at AU are opinionated. Dealing with these criticisms has made me learn and improve my managerial style.
HCAU: What is something most people don’t know about you?
JF: I cook a lot and that is how I manage stress. I manage time around cooking and I never skip a meal. I have a lot of fun preparing meals and I appreciate good food. Having a chance to make your own meals is super cool.
HCAU: What other extracurricular activities are you involved in?
JF: I will always remain loyal to WVAU. It was the first club I joined. I had a radio show until last semester but I stopped this semester because I have no time. WVAU is one of the best organizations and it means a lot to me.
HCAU: What is something you want to experience in DC that you haven’t yet?
JF: I want to go to the Renwick Gallery. It looks so cool and I love everyone’s photos. I also want to eat a whole dinner at Momofuku CCDC. On Friday’s, they do fried chicken in two ways: Korean and Southern style.
HCAU: How is working with Sasha?
JF: It’s great. We get along really well even though we have drastically different roles. I talk to Sasha all the time and run things by her. Her staff writes policy reports and I plan events. Advogramming which is advocacy through programming is something we are both working on. Advogramming has been happening more this year to increase Sasha’s goals and to improve student life on campus.
HCAU: What has been your favorite class at AU so far?
JF: Understanding Media with Professor Jane Hall. She’s an icon and one of the best professors. She’s an excellent professor and an excellent person. Everyone should take it!
HCAU: What was your favorite event to put on this year?
JF: Founder’s Day was incredible. It was a wonderful event and I planned it with Sydney Baldwin. It was great to have the biggest Founder’s Day ever and the food didn’t run out! We made sure there was enough food. Bringing Bill Nye to campus was an incredible experience and it was so great to see people’s reactions. Val did a wonderful job with the event. I don’t do the linguistical stuff and people in those positions have everything they need for their events and I help if needed.
HCAU: If you could change anything this year, would you?
JF: I’m super pleased with everything. We had an awesome year and I am pleased with everything that has happened. KPU Director Valeria Ojeda Director and Founder’s Day Directors Sydney Baldwin are good at their jobs. Their staffs are excellent.
HCAU: Any advice to anyone seeking to run for Vice President in the future?
JF: Talk to me. I have a lot of things to tell them. It’s hard being a senior and being VP. It’s tough to look for a job, have an internship, try to get decent amounts of sleep, and watch Game of Thrones. Put the most qualified people in place. The people right for the job and that will do a kickbutt job. Follow your instincts and don’t take your staff for granted. They are giving up their time to make the university better. Your staff are great human beings giving up their time to help you reach your goals and let them have their creative freedom and reach their own goals.
HCAU: Since you are a foodie, what restaurants should people try in DC?
JF: Everyone should try Momofuku CCDC and experience the Jose Andres restaurant, Zaytinya. If you are brunch person and 21 years old, Medium Rare has the best bottomless mimosas, bloody marys and screwdrivers.
HCAU: What are you listening to these days?
JF: I listen to Rihanna’s “Anti” album everyday. “Kiss it Better” is my favorite song from the album. I am going through a throwback kick in my music catalog. I really like Sia’s new album. I’m also listening to Lionel Richie’s “Can’t Slow Down” album. I listen to it once a year. The song “Stressed Out” by Lion Babe speaks to me. I love the line “You order fries just to get away” because I do that when I go to the Tavern.