Sometime last semester, I wrote a piece titled “To those in elected positions.” At the time, I had been on The Stute’s e-board for about two years and the President of CPAC for almost a year, and had wanted to share my observations with up-and-coming student leaders a few weeks before unified elections week. This piece is somewhat of a “Part 2,” so you should read that first before proceeding.
Many younger friends will come up to me and say they respect me and want to hold the positions I hold someday. It’s sweet, but they only say that because they haven’t been a president before.
While it might seem glamorous from the outside, being a president can be a thankless and lonely job. Don’t get me wrong — you will gain so many precious memories during your term. I am so grateful for the positions that people elected me to, because they allowed me to grow into a completely different person than I was when I first got to Stevens. But there are just as many all-nighters in the office and overwhelming days when I can’t help but wonder what my life would’ve been like if I just dropped everything and had no responsibilities outside of work and class.
Being a president is not easy. You have to be the type of person who is always around. The person who goes to every meeting, makes sure everyone does their part, and has a good friendship with most, if not all, members of the organization. If you don’t have that level of commitment, you are not ready to be president. This is the foundation for respect. It is difficult to become an impactful leader who drives change if those who you lead don’t respect you as someone who has done enough to be in charge.
I am not trying to deter anyone from running. In fact, I want to encourage you to run. If you have really big ideas and believe you’re the best candidate, your club needs you. Don’t be afraid of commitment — get excited and go all in to make it yours! There aren’t enough student leaders at Stevens, so by making a decision to run I’m already proud of you. College is only four (or five) years long and the term is only for one year (unless you re-run). I just want to warn people who might be in it for the wrong reasons — like only to boost your resume, for clout, or just for shits and giggles — the bigger the club, the higher the stakes, and the more commitment it will require to make sure it’s running smoothly.
I wanted to feature some of my friends’ thoughts on this topic. As club presidents for student orgs, I figured their perspectives might help you too.
Rachel Cipkins has been the President of Stevens Women in Computer Science (SWiCS) since Spring 2019. She was previously the Public Relations Chair before becoming President.
Yoohan Ko has been President of Stevens Robotics Club, formerly known as Stevens Hobby Robotics Club, since Fall 2018.
Nazrin Akther is the current President of the Muslim Education and Cultural Association (MECA). She was previously the Events Coordinator before becoming President.
Alex Murtagh is the Founder and President of the Martial Arts and Self Defense (MASD) Club as well as the President for Chi Epsilon (XE), the Civil Engineering Honor Society.
Thanks everyone for agreeing to provide your input!
Audrey DSouza: Why did you want to be president?
Nazrin Akther: I wanted to make sure that MECA was continuing to improve for the Muslim students on campus. Since we are a relatively new and small club, it’s important that our outreach is better and that our events are more appealing and relevant for the members of the club. I felt that there weren’t many others willing to make the time and effort commitment to make the club better. I am hoping to make the Muslim community closer and to make MECA have more of a presence on campus.
Rachel Cipkins: My goal is to make sure SWiCS has a sense of community by adding more social events to our schedule. I want to make sure people who are not just CS majors feel more welcome attending our events as well!
AD: What makes being president worth it for you?
Alex Murtagh: More than anything, I enjoy seeing people have fun doing what they love. For MASD, just being able to give people the space they need to practice and build a small community is really exciting. I think XE is a really important organization because our members excel in the classroom, so we offer them opportunities to have fun and put their knowledge to the test through networking events.
Yoohan Ko: For me, it was never directly my intention to become President, but I recognized that at an engineering school such as Stevens, there is an immense demand for engineering-related extracurriculars such as robotics club. I was just excited to create more extracurricular robotics and engineering projects and opportunities for the student body. When I see students engaged in projects and learning, and then seeing those students pass it along, it’s all worth it.
AD: What advice would you give to people who want to be president of your, or any, club?
RC: Make sure that being president is something that you really want to do before running for the position. If you don’t think you are ready yet, try another position out first before making that decision.
NA: When you become president, be prepared to deal with e-board members who are not taking up their roles and responsibilities. You need to lead and be assertive. There will be a lot of opportunities to meet new people and do a lot of things and shape the club how you want to, so go crazy and have fun too.
AM: For anyone that wants to be president of any organization, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Serving as president is obviously nice for your resume, but your main purpose is to serve the members of the organization and advance the goals of your organization. So basically, be passionate and willing to put in the work to see your club improve!
YK: Be consistent in attending meetings and always be proactive in participating in projects and getting involved in the organization in any way. More than technical expertise, when I look for the next president, I’m looking for a student that shows initiative and shares the same vision to lead the robotics club. I would love to see our club grow even more into a prominent, recognized club at Stevens.
I hope that this piece can be useful for anyone running for any position at any time. If elected, the future of your club is yours to write. Whatever happens, good or bad, will be your legacy. In a crisis, e-board members (even if at fault) won’t be held accountable, you will. Don’t be too nervous. Even if you don’t win the title, know that it your passion and ideas can still make big changes and a big impact on the lives of fellow students. You might not get exactly what you want, but that just means something even greater is waiting for you in the future.
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