By Raeanne Raccagno
Copy Editor
Student Government Executive President Jared Williams and Executive Vice President Trish Le suit up every day before stepping on their home court, the College. They don’t worry about flaunting last names on their backs, but instead repping their SG gear. They want their initiatives to last longer on campus than their titles. For them, scoring points means advocating for students, making positive changes and starting legacies at the College.
Williams, a senior political science major, and Le, a senior history secondary and special education major, spoke with The Signal last spring to discuss goals for their term. After conquering some in the fall, they have set new ambitions for the spring semester as they both prepare to say goodbye to their time in SG. As the two officers have climbed the governmental ladder, they have become great friends, enhancing their ability to put numbers on the scoreboard for students.
“LeBron and D-Wade won multiple rings together, they got a lot accomplished together and I think that that's what Trish and I were able to do,” Williams said. “I think that oftentimes people in the past have wondered what SG does or what SG can accomplish. But I think within just one semester, Trish and I were able to accomplish so much with the dining expansions, with a homecoming dance and the student section. And I think that those are kind of our championship rings.”
The dynamic duo has fixed the accessibility doors on campus, expanded dining options, obtained a student section for basketball games, pressed for solutions to parking issues and course registration, and attempted to start a new tradition with the first homecoming dance at the College. The two were also elected to the Homecoming Court by the student body, and Williams was crowned king.
“I would say our biggest accomplishment was pulling together our first homecoming dance,” Le said. “We were really thinking about what is a new legacy event that we can bring to TCNJ that might be able to continue to last once we're gone, and in the past years after COVID, it's been really difficult to pull off any type of legacy events that happened in the past.”
For the spring semester, Williams and Le plan to keep their promises by continuing to find parking and class registration relief, supporting recognized student organizations, ensuring quality housing and increasing dining options.
Williams and Le previously tried to get a third-party dining location on campus. But after discussing the idea with the College’s administration, they decided it would be too difficult due to branding and costs. So their focus has been expanding current dining choices, like adding strawberry daiquiris and piña coladas to the Traditions menu.
One student brought up the idea of having matcha in the Library Café to Williams, which is something they plan to consider as they continue to work with the College’s dining services team.
Another campaign pledge was having open communication with the student body, and Le hopes the information provided to students is improved by having it reach more people.
“I think we live in a time where we're really scared of everything we're hearing, but sometimes those conversations we have one-on-one provide our students relief,” Le said. “I hope that our students can look into more information of the changes happening at the school, to be able to tell the school what it is that we really want with actionable steps, and that's where Student Gov comes in and I really hope that our students can find us as a resource.”
Williams and Le also have bi-weekly meetings with Vice President of Student Affairs Sean Stallings and President Michael Bernstein to advocate for current issues and initiatives. Williams described Stallings and Bernstein as “very receptive people,” making their meetings enjoyable and helpful.
In recent meetings with Stallings, Williams and Le have been trying to get additional solar panel tables in Alumni Grove in front of Eickhoff Hall.
As the pair are closing out their term, they are thinking about SG’s internal organization and how they can retain and bring in new members with creative ideas. During their term, they have seen SG’s membership almost double.
“For me, Student Government has defined my TCNJ experience,” Williams said. “Being able to meet great mentors, being able to meet great friends … Trish is one of my best friends on campus.”
“When I came to TCNJ, I knew I wanted to have a long-lasting impact and I wanted to be able to leave the institution better than the way I found it,” he added. “And I think Student Government is an organization that puts you in a unique position to be able to have a legacy.”
As the SG partners prepare to say goodbye to the College and their roles, they are also gearing up for what’s to come next. As they look to the future, the two also reminisce on the community around them, their friendship and their gratitude for each other.
Williams has been applying to and preparing to attend law school after graduating this May. He has been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, the University of Michigan, Rutgers University, Cornell and the University of Virginia.
He intends to take the knowledge he has gained from SG and continue to apply it to law school, through policy advocacy and representing marginalized communities. After law school, he plans to become an attorney and one day run for office.
Le commented how she will greatly miss Williams and sees him being “so beyond the realm of New Jersey. We hope he remembers us.”
Along with Williams, Le will also miss the multicultural community at the College, which has helped her reflect on her own culture and become more invested in her background. She commended the Black Student Union’s fashion show for how they celebrate everyone and where they come from.
After obtaining her Master’s in special education next academic year, Le plans to get her doctorate in education at the University of Pennsylvania or Columbia University. She looks forward to working with kids in the future.
As their ventures at the College come to a close, Le and Williams are grateful to the student body for putting them in their executive positions. The two feel confident knowing the budget is continuing to stabilize, and hope the changes they brought to the school will remain to benefit more students.
“We really appreciate [the student body’s] trust and support to be able to represent their interests,” Williams said. “And we really hope that we've been able to do that to the liking of the TCNJ community.”
