Remembering Student Body Presidents

Mike Giancola reflects on past Student Body Presidents.

Interview on 2012-03-26 00:00:00 -0400

Transcript

00:00:00.000 We've only had a few student body presidents over the years that were women
00:00:04.196 and I think some of the most dynamic presidents we've had have been women.
00:00:08.158 I think of Jenny Chang. I was here when Jenny was president, didn't work with her as closely,
00:00:14.225 but what a barrier she broke when she became student body president.
00:00:20.372 In fact that year-I don't think she was the first female student body president
00:00:24.172 but that year, if I'm remembering right, I think all four of the executive officers that year were women,
00:00:31.068 or three of the four. Three of the four were women, Alexis Mei was the senate president
00:00:35.610 and I'm blanking on who the treasurer was that year. This was before I started working with student government so closely.
00:00:40.724 But Jenny will go down as being one of the best student body presidents we've had.
00:00:46.097 I think about Kelly Hook recently and now Chandler Thompson,
00:00:50.735 two really great-. Chandler's just about ready to end her term, the elections are tomorrow, so I think we can start to reflect back on her year,
00:00:58.665 but both her and Kelly have done a fantastic job.
00:01:00.870 I think of some of the student body presidents over the years and senate presidents
00:01:06.108 NC State, historically being a predominantly white campus,
00:01:12.436 and you think about trailblazers. Kevin Howell I didn't work with when he was student body president.
00:01:18.282 He and I are closer in age so it would have been awesome for that to happen.
00:01:22.588 But I think of folks like Harold Pettigrew and Mike Anthony and Tony Caravano.
00:01:29.660 I mean we had a year, I think three or four years running, where we had African American male student body presidents
00:01:35.806 and each one of them as accomplished as the other-Darryl Willie was the other one I'd forgotten in that group
00:01:40.472 great, great human beings, great leaders that have gone on to do really wonderful things since they've left us.