STUDENT GOVERNMENT DuBose, Walsh Reflect on Year in Office By Amanda McGrath Hoya Staff Writer

With less than a week remaining of their executive term, current GUSA President Ryan DuBose (COL ’02) and Vice President Brian Walsh (COL ’02) said they felt the year had been a success and said their work with the student association is not yet over.

“We will both still be involved in different committees and organizing projects. Just because we’re out of office doesn’t mean we’re through with GUSA. In fact, we’ll probably be involved right up until graduation,” Walsh said.

DuBose said that although president-elect Kaydee Bridges (SFS ’03) and vice president-elect Mason Ayer (SFS ’03) will officially take office on Tuesday, it will be about a month before the transition is complete. The pair will present their End of the Year Report on Tuesday, which Walsh described as “kind of a history of our year and term.” He said it would detail their accomplishments, continuing projects and advice for the future of GUSA.

DuBose said he would continue his work as chair of the GUSA Funding Board and his work with the Friends Group. Walsh said he would continue a project to bring picnic tables to campus, an issue the pair had advocated in their campaign platform last year.

They said they felt they had been successful in meeting most of their platform goals, especially improving campus safety and developing close relationships with administrators.

DuBose cited the expansion of the SafeRides program and the development of SafeWalks, an initiative he described as “very successful.” He also said after he leaves office he will continue to work on a “Know Your Rights” pamphlet, to be completed in the next few weeks, that will detail student rights when dealing with the Metropolitan Police Department, Department of Public Safety and legal issues with off-campus housing and landlords.

Walsh said one of their greatest accomplishments was collaboration with student organizations and the administration. “GUSA doesn’t work in a vacuum – collaboration is the name of the game,” he said. He said the pair had established a positive working relationship with University President John J. DeGioia as well as other administrators.

DuBose said communication with clubs and student organizations had been greatly improved. “We tried to work closer with clubs than in the past. We really tried to get more input from clubs and better disseminate information to them,” he said.

Though they worked closely with organizations, DuBose said he wished he had established stronger ties with the general student body. “I still don’t feel there is a good connection between students and GUSA. It’s better now, but could still see more improvement. GUSA should be a forum where regular, ndividual students can come with questions or problems,” DuBose said.

Walsh said he wished he and DuBose had been able to develop the comprehensive, student friendly Web site they had planned in their campaign. Though they had not achieved this goal, he said he was confident Bridges and Ayer, who also included plans for an improved Web site in their platform, would further its development.

“I have extreme confidence in Kaydee and Mason, they will do a great job,” Walsh said. “I’m very excited for them – they have a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of know-how and a lot of commitment.”

According to Walsh, he and DuBose often held divergent opinions on GUSA issues. “Privately, Ryan and I actually disagree a lot, so before we form an opinion we argue on it and go over both sides,” Walsh said. “We discuss every issue heavily first and then come out with good answers. Compromise is the best way.”

Walsh said one of the disappointments of his term was the manner in which Vice President for Student Affairs Juan Gonzalez handed down his decision on the creation of an LGBT resource center. “I understand his concerns, but the decision could have been delivered more promptly. He should have informed students from the beginning and began to address the needs of LGBT students in other ways,” Walsh said.

Both said they were not prepared for the extensive time commitment involved with the “behind-the-scenes” work their positions required. “It’s like a full time job on top of being a student,” Walsh said. “Most of the work we did students didn’t see – going to meetings, working in committees – that’s where we made an impact.”

DuBose said they each put in 40 to 45 hours a week attending meetings and working on various projects. “I learned a lot about my limits. I had to push myself hard all year, I didn’t break, I kept a positive tone,” DuBose said. “If you can make it out of something as intense as this with a smile on your face, then it’s been a positive experience.”

DuBose said the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 presented an unexpected challenge to GUSA, one which he said he felt they handled successfully.

“We were there at a time when people needed us to be – that’s what a student association is for,” he said.

According to DuBose, his term in office may not always have been easy, but it isn’t experience he said he will always value.

“There have been ups and downs, but overall I loved my experience. I had never had an elected position with GUSA before [becoming president] and I was kind of an outsider coming in . I felt like that gave me a chance to give the student voice and represent students in so many ways,” DuBose said.

“We gave it our all and I think we had a great year,” Walsh said.