We got a chance to chat with this year’s Student Association President, Sophie Adams. She let us in on her big plans for the year as well as little bit about herself and her Saint Mike’s Experience. Get to know your President!
Year: Junior (2018)
Hometown: Originally from Idaho, moved to Plymouth, New Hampshire, sophomore year of High School.
Major: Mathematics
Minors: Studio Art, Environmental Studies
Her Campus: Other than the SA what have you been involved in on campus? What is your favorite memory from these programs?
Sophie Adams: I was class president both sophomore and freshman year. I am an instructor for the Adventure Sports Program; right now I am going through certifications for climbing and paddling. I’m also involved in the photo club and my work study is in the dark room on North Campus.
Something that really sticks out to me when I think about what I’ve been involved in is working on the Got Consent? stickers and being part of running the Humans of Saint Michael’s College Facebook page. I liked these because they incorporated activism with getting to know people. Especially the Humans of SMC page because I got to talk to a lot people from janitorial staff to the Dean. It was especially great as a freshman because it helped me get to know the community of SMC and how welcoming and easy to talk to everyone is. The consent stickers were at a time when consent awareness was much lower than it is now, so it was really cool to work on bringing more awareness of a national and campus issue.
HC: What made you want to run for SA president?
SA: I got roped into it to be totally honest. I was losing interest in SA and felt like I was involved enough to dedicate so much time to it. I wanted to be more involved with adventure sports. BUT I talked to Shannon McQueen (former president) year and she really convinced me to run and that I was capable of doing it. She helped me believe that I could advance on the issues of transparency and advocating for students on campus. I still feel a little awkward and overwhelmed, but I’m learning and I feel like I’ll be able to really make a difference for everyone.
HC: How do you plan to carry out your year as SA president?
SA: We, the Student Association, have four major goals/plans for this year. Everyone is all really passionate about these issues but I am especially.
- We are working with ArtsRiot in Burlington to help us start a movement called Destroy Apathy. It would promote inclusion and diversity on campus. We want to destroy cliques on campus and try to get everyone more involved.
- Increase budget transparency, both the SA budget and the school’s budget. We want to have an open conversation about how we are spending money on campus. We also want to a find a way to cut back but also responsibly invest more in the students.
- We are trying to get a student representative on the board of trustees so that there will be better communication between the two bodies and so that the board will hear student opinion more clearly.
- We also want to promote better labor relations on campus, hopefully getting more compensation for RAs, ACAs and adjuncts professors.
HC: Wow, that’s quite a lot!
SA: Aim for the stars, right? Aim high. Sometimes things work out sometimes they don’t. You have to have goals. Even if you don’t achieve them, working towards them still achieves something, and you know that you did your best to try and make campus a better place.
The Student Association at The View
HC: Why did you come to Saint Mike’s?
SA: I won the book award at my high school. But, I had these big plans of going Ivy League. I wanted to go to Columbia. My brother went to a really good college and most of my friends went Ivy League. So I had that goal of going to an incredibly prestigious, expensive college. I applied to 12 and got into 2. It was between NYU and SMC. The day I got into NYU I was visiting SMC and I kind of just discredited it. But I ended up hating NYU when I went to visit. I hated the city, especially after growing up in Idaho and New Hampshire. At that point I considered maybe even taking some time off before college. I came back to look at Saint Mike’s again and ended up gaining a whole new perspective. I loved the whole area, the unassuming quality of Saint Mike’s and the accepting quality of the whole community. The community was something I didn’t feel at any other college, I felt more comfortable here than anywhere else. Once I got over myself and the aura of going to a huge fancy school, I knew this was where I was meant to be.
HC: What is your favorite part of Saint Mike’s?
SA: I don’t want to be cliché, but I’m totally going to be cliché and say the people. Other than the area, they’re what makes it the best. However, we are in one of the best places in the world to go to college: the mountains, beautiful lake, close to Montréal which is such a cool city, but we’re still at a small community. Still, the most important part to me is how accepting the community is.
HC: How do you plan to make the most of your last 2 years here?
SA: Stay involved but also get more prepared to take on the world. I’m hoping to do some research that will hopefully lead to grad school opportunities. I also just want to make the most of being at college and being in this wonderful little microcosm, and make the most of being young and being in place where I can make mistakes. Hopefully no mistakes, but it’s pretty forgiving here so this is the place to make them if I’m going to.
HC: How has being at Saint Mike’s and being so involved shaped you individually?
SA: I’m much more open minded and tougher than I was when I first got here. And risky. Definitely less self aware, in a good way. Also a little more compassionate.
HC: What is your favorite thing to do in Burlington area?
SA: Can I tell you my what my ideal day in Vermont would be? Wake up early. Hike Camel’s Hump, or anything really; just a sunrise hike. Get breakfast downtown at Magnolia. So that puts us at like 9AM. Next, go rock climbing somewhere. And then go thrift shopping. Then make lunch from the farmer’s market. And then read on the waterfront. After that get dinner at The Farmhouse, I would probably get the blue cheese toast and a burger—so good. And then, hang out with my friends, maybe go to brewery and catch some music somewhere. There’s awesome music here, it’s all really accessible, most of it’s free, and it’s always fun. Wow, I need to have this whole day sometime!
HC: What advice do you have for underclassmen?
SA: As President, I gave a speech at the convocation for the first years. Something I wish I had stressed more is to open your mind and get really involved. Don’t be afraid to go to an event where you don’t know anybody. Go and meet people. Don’t be afraid to go to lectures on Friday nights even if you’re friends think it’s lame. And be more accepting, the world will be a better place. But also don’t go to lectures every Friday night—have fun!