Chief of Staff Blake Andert (right) and Student Body Vice President Taylor Nelson address the Student Senate. The Student Senate meets weekly throughout the academic year.

Roughly 15,000 students are enrolled at UND, so it might seem as though a single student’s voice would get lost in the crowd. However, Student Government provides an opportunity for every student to have a say in what happens at the university.

Each of UND’s nine schools is represented in Student Government by a senator. There are also senators for on- and off-campus housing. When students see something that needs attention, they are encouraged to contact their senator, who will have the opportunity to bring up the issue at a Student Senate meeting.

If there’s a problem, a senator can write a bill to request changes. If the bill is approved, the changes will be implemented. This is similar to how the government works at the state and national levels, where legislators serve as a voice for their constituents — the people they represent.

While the senators comprise the legislative branch, there is also an executive branch that oversees the Student Government’s operations. The executive branch consists of the student body president, vice president, chief of staff, treasurer, government affairs commissioner and project coordinator. 

A chief of staff acts as a go-to for the president and vice president. The vice president’s chief of staff for the 2015-2016 school year was Blake Andert, a sophomore majoring in supply chain management. 

An Eagan, Minn., native, Andert will begin his junior year as the student body vice president, after getting elected in April alongside Brandon Beyer as president.

Andert got involved with Student Government as a freshman, when he became a liaison for the Student Organization Funding Agency, a standing committee of Student Government. The agency assists and allocates funds to student organizations. 

After a month and a half as a liaison, Andert became the agency’s chairman. Around this time, he also became the chairman of the elections committee, which meant he oversaw the entire student body election as a freshman.

Andert said he knew he wanted to be involved in Student Government right away, but other students might not realize the importance it plays or how the process works.

“Students should care about Student Government because it has a real-life effect on every student at UND,” Andert said. “You should want to get involved. You should allow your voice to be heard.”

Working with administrators in a professional setting is a great way to improve communication skills, according to Andert, who said one must be “on top of their game” when working with people who run the university.

Leadership is another area in which Andert has improved during his time in Student Government. He said setting up and organizing committees has given him skills that will help him throughout his future career.

But nothing can be done alone, Andert said, adding that Student Government has taught him the value of teamwork.

“Everything we do can’t be done by just one person,” Andert said. “It’s all a team effort, and when everyone’s doing their part and everyone’s working hard, things happen.”

If the members of the Student Government team share anything in common, it’s that they’re hardworking students with strong ambitions, Andert said, adding that the typical student who comes to Student Government wants to go above and beyond what the average student does.

Andert said he is excited to be a vice president during a legislative year in North Dakota. The N.D. Senate and House of Representatives, which meet every other year, will convene at the North Dakota State Capitol in January 2017, and Andert said he is looking forward to going to Bismarck to advocate for students.

There also will be a new university president this year. Mark Kennedy was chosen to replace former President Robert Kelley after a five-month search process. Former N.D. Gov. Ed Shafer served as the interim president after Kelley retired in January.

Kennedy also has a background in government. He represented Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as a trade representative for Bush and Obama administrations. Kennedy also held executive positions at the Pillsbury Company and Macy’s, and he has worked in higher education at the Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School and the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.

“I’m really excited to be working with him,” Andert said. “I think the Presidential Search Committee did a great job. We’re really fortunate to have President Kennedy.”

Kennedy is coming to UND at a time when budget cuts are a concern for many in the university community. Because of a lower-than-expected revenue forecast for North Dakota, Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered budget cuts for state agencies, including UND.

As interim president, Shafer approved proposed cuts that will save UND $21.6 million in the coming years. Some of the cuts were controversial, including those to baseball and men’s golf, the music therapy program and Studio One, a student-run television program.

Andert said he anticipates the budget cuts will be the biggest challenge going into next year, but he’s optimistic about the direction UND is headed.

“I think it’s going to be a great year for students,” he said. “[Student Body President Beyer] and I are going to be working as hard as we can to ensure everything’s going smoothly and students are getting everything they need.”

Andert said students shouldn’t be afraid to contact their senators when they see a problem, adding that he and Beyer will always have open line sof communication, as well.

Lucas Amundson is the features editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]