Name: Jake Cox
Year: Senior
Major: Political Science with a Concentration in Pre-Professional Legal Studies
Hometown: Jacksonville, NC
Q: What inspired you to run for SGA president?
A: What inspired me to run for President of the Student Body was my personal desire to help improve and champion the causes of students. I have always felt an innate desire to be the representative and the force for change that people want or need in their lives. I wanted to rise above the fray of individual or selfish desires, and instead, I wanted to work for the Student Body as their biggest advocate on issues ranging from lower tuition costs to longer Safe Ride hours to guaranteeing an effective reading day.
Q: Why did you initially get involved with SGA? What has your SGA experience been like?
A: I initially got involved with SGA my sophomore year as a senator because I wanted to find more ways to be active on campus. At first, to me, this was a way to experience college “extra-curricular activities” outside of my fraternity and perform a sort of public service to the community by acting on their behalf. I also knew that it would provide many critical experiences that could give me insight in to a much more professional setting. Through everything and the last 3 years that I have been involved, I have never met a better group of leaders that work so diligently for the Student Body. I was honored to serve as a senator, the Director of International and Environmental Affairs and now as the President of the Student Body. My time spent has not been time wasted, and I have cherished every moment I have had learning from both student leaders to administrators on campus.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about App State and Boone?
A: My favorite thing about Appalachian and Boone is actually one in the same: it’s not a city. I know for the rest of my life I am more than likely going to be stuck in some office somewhere in some high rise with now windows and now scenery. At Appalachian, I realized this was my last opportunity to enjoy the true beauties in life while moving towards a career. I wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible living up to what I imagined life would look like in college and that included the small college feel, friendly environment, culturally diverse student population, and unique town support structure.
Q: Other than becoming SGA president, what do you think is your biggest accomplishment thus far in college?
A: My biggest accomplishment thus far in college, aside from being the Student Body President, has probably been managing both of my presidential positions. I am currently the president of Theta Chi Fraternity for the rest of this semester. It has probably been the most difficult thing I ever could have ever imagined attempting to lead two organizations with two entirely different outlooks on purpose and position in the community. With the SGA, I have been working with very capable and dedicated student leaders to not only maintain the highly regarded status of our organization, but also to advance our causes and create an organization in the image I ran on during the election. As for my fraternity, which I have been with since practically day one of my college experience, the story is much different. I have been working with developing a new set of leaders capable of taking over my organization, while also developing new policies and ideas through which I can advance our organization as a top tier competitor with others in the Greek system. The main difference between the organizations is that SGA is well established, and with Theta Chi, I have been working to create a new image and perception. I have been juggling both of these positions to the best of my abilities and while often times were stressful, I have felt a sense of accomplishment. With my fraternity, I have seen our numbers expand far beyond what we used to be, and develop a new image that can be appreciated and desired. And as for SGA, I have seen new ideas take place and new pieces of legislation form that would in turn change the lives of students on campus for generations to come.
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Q: Since the U.S. Presidential election is coming up very soon, I have to bring up the fact that not many ASU students voted during last year’s SGA elections. Do you feel like this apathy may resonate during the Presidential election process (especially here in NC)?
A: Bluntly, no. I do not believe the apathy towards student elections is anywhere near similar to that of national or state elections. The reason I believe this is because in those national elections, students feel an intrinsic desire to be a part of the system and change things that can in turn drastically change their lives. But with SGA, the apathy can be attributed to the recognition of SGA, or lack thereof. There has been a lack of outreach in the past from SGA leaders to get student’s attention and inform about the purpose of our organization, as well as define to them our actions that have made their lives better. All of this is actually what I ran on during the election: getting student’s involved and informed as well as empowered. As soon as students feel the effects of SGA leadership and witness the success of our actions, they will begin to take a more in depth interest in who is leading them on a campus-wide scale.
Q: What are some of your other hobbies and interests?
A: My hobbies and interests all revolve around alone time. There is nothing more important to me than taking a breath and reading a solid historical book or autobiography in the solitude of my room or even out in the wilderness. I also enjoy fishing, hiking, and swimming. Having moved here to Boone from the beach, one of my frequent visits is to bodies of water because of the calming effect it has on me. But the one thing that does get me worked up more than anything else in the world is politics. I am a very active member in my political party and have been since I was 16 years old. I take great pride in my activism and believe that no matter what party or ideology one student or person may have, they should all get involved to a higher extent and have a voice in how their lives are run. So to that extent, my latest hobby, and to the horror of my friends and girlfriend, has been constantly playing with political maps to determine the winner of the presidential election. I have become almost disgustingly obsessed, but it is something that I am truly passionate about.
Q: What’s a surprising fact about you?
A: A surprising fact about me that not many people know is that I am Filipino and Mexican.
Q: Do you know what your plans are for after graduation? Staying in politics?
A: Believe it or not, that is the plan. Like I mentioned in the earlier question about my interests, I love politics. It has been my true passion for a few years now, and now that I am able to develop that in to a career, I intend on taking full advantage of that situation and looking to see what types of opportunities there are for me in Washington D.C. or Raleigh.
Q: If ASU students want to bring anything to your and/or SGA’s attention, how would they do so?
A: A simple e-mail or a drop-by visit to the office will suffice! We pride ourselves in the office on how approachable and open we are to the community and how willing we are to work with students. I highly recommend students to drop by or drop me (or Vice President Eric Barnes) a line. We put things in to action, but we don’t have all the ideas.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Voice your opinion. We all have them, and none of them are bad opinions. SGA is the blood of the voice of the student body on campus, and we can’t operate without students being engaged with our business. Everyone needs to at one point or another have his or her voice heard, because without it, this university will never get better.