Mid August marks the official change of leadership for Wentworth Student Government (WSG). After a very successful tenure as president, Alexander Cate is stepping down as president, but will be staying involved as the Academic Affairs Representative. Thank you for all your hard work, Alexander!
Taking the reins and leading WSG forward is Casey Germain. We recently sat down with Casey (okay, we emailed him. Wentworth students are busy, my friends!) to ask him some questions:
What program and year are you in?
This fall I will be a fifth-year senior in Computer Information Systems.
Where do you live while attending Wentworth? On campus? Off campus?
I have lived in EWT, 555, and currently in 525.
Where is your hometown?
I am from Oxford, MA which is south of Worcester.
What made you select Wentworth?
I came to Wentworth because of the laptop program and because I love this city.
What made you interested in serving as president of WSG?
Over the past year I have served as Treasurer. I want to work professionally in a Higher Ed environment, and as Wentworth transitions with the arrival of President Thompson it is a prime time to look at every aspect students are concerned about.
What goals do you have for WSG this year?
I want to continue the general structure of our weekly meetings, however I want to foster a stronger relationships with faculty and administrative groups.
Are there major issues/topics that are hoping to bring the table?
There are not currently new major issues that come to mind, but we will continue to push for more accountability and consistency from faculty, departments, and offices.
You are starting your presidency a few months after President Thompson started his. You’ve had an opportunity to meet with President Thompson, what are your initial thoughts?
By the time I officially take over the presidency, [President Thompson] will have had time to create plans to correct what he sees as being the biggest issues. From the conversations I have had with him, I am very excited for his student focus and hopeful that it leads to WSG weighing in on major decisions.
The student voice is very important, are there areas on campus that you believe that voice needs to be heard more clearly?
In general, WSG is able to achieve wonderful results when students voice specific issues or suggested solutions For example, Chartwells holds focus groups of sorts to get feedback and has made adjustments based on suggestions, but hearing “Beatty food sucks” gets no traction because there’s no action that can be taken. It seems to me that most issues don’t have an issue of being heard clearly, but more that issues aren’t always articulated well in an actionable way. That being said, we have had ongoing conversations about faculty consistency. In many offices around campus the inconsistencies between faculty, adjuncts, and departments is frustrating to many students.
When are WSG meetings held and who can attend and why should students get involved in WSG?
WSG meets every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters. Meetings are at 6pm in the Board of Trustees room (Beatty 4th floor left of the elevator). Any student is welcome to attend, bring up issues, and give input to discussions. Attending 3 meetings allows students to vote in meetings.
Word association, write the first word you think of when you read the following words:
Wentworth: Home
Leopard: Ari
Boston: Bruins (better luck next year!)
Bruins: LIFE
Donut: N&Js
Friends: Family
Career: Higher Education
Future: Promising
Game of Thrones: Meh
Finish this sentence: I love Wentworth because…
I love Wentworth because it’s home, it’s family, and it’s the foundation of our future.
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Great answers, President Germain! Thank you in advance for all your hard work in bringing the voice of the students to the table. The Division of Student Affairs looks forward to working with you and WSG this year to advance our vision, #EveryStudentThrives.