Did you go to the Ke$ha concert last year? Do you love Sing Song? How about all those free movies on campus? Program Council is the organization behind all those events improving your collegiate life. Elise McDonald, the president, is the face of the organization and SMU Her Campus talked to her and got the inside scoop of running such a large, influential organization on campus.
What does your job as President of Program Council entail?
Being Program Council President is a two-fold job: I ensure that our organization is running smoothly internally and also ensure that we are conveying a positive image of ourselves externally. It’s a lot of monitoring the situation— who needs help with their job? Who is doing great and can give pointers to others? How does the campus feel about PC? Do they like the events we bring? How can we improve our student body relations? Being president is not only fun, but it has also been an incredible learning experience.
For someone who has never heard about Program Council, could you explain what PC does?
Program Council brings the fun to campus! We celebrate the diverse community found at SMU through fun and innovative programs whether they are a hit-artist concert, a movie showing, or a thought-provoking speaker.
What is the most challenging part about being Program Council President?
The most challenging part of being PC President is keeping up with ever-evolving situations and keeping the right people in the loop. Nothing stays the same very long and it’s very important that decisions are made with correct and timely information.
What is the most rewarding part about being apart of Program Council?
I love PC because I love the people who are part of it with me. We are truly a team and take “PC Love” literally. Although we plan events together, I think we all spend more time talking to each other about non-PC things than actually planning an event. PC fosters a natural camaraderie that I love being part of.
What is your favorite Program Council memory?
My favorite PC memory was at the Ke$ha concert last April— After we took our picture with Ke$ha and she headed to stage, I vividly remember sprinting around Moody and down the stairs onto the floor with all of the PC members who made the night possible. As the music started, I remember thinking how proud I was to be part of an organization that could pull off such a concert. The show fulfilled everything we had worked towards for so long and I got to share the evening with all of my PC friends.
What other organizations are you involved with?
I am also president of Ambassadors for Prospective Engineering Students and am a member of Alpha Chi Omega.