With the fall semester just around the corner, The Daily Beacon interviewed Elizabeth Clement, Student Government Association President.

Clement is the first female SGA president at UT since 1978. She is a senior in speech communications and has a younger sister also emrolled at UT.

Daily Beacon: What role did you play in this year’s budget crisis/tuition hike?

Elizabeth Clement: I worked hand in hand with Dr. Shumaker in representing student concerns to the legislature, the Board of Trustees, and Alumni at the Board of Governors Conference. Dr. Shumaker was very inclusive of me during the situation. We have a Government Affairs crisis. Our state has done a horrible job in managing the money for the state. This fall is our chance to make our voices heard. I will be very pro-active in the fall registering students to vote. We need educated voters to go the polls this fall. I can assure students that I will work day and night to make sure that this happens. During the budget crisis, I personally contacted the Knoxville delegation, as well as other key legislators. I wanted them to know what was going through the minds of students.

DB: As a senior, do you still feel that UT was the right choice? What were some of your other options and why did you pick UT?

EC: Aside from UT, I also applied to Vanderbilt and Samford. However, I knew that I wanted to go to UT the entire time. My father went to UT and I had grown up around UT and coming to all the football games. There is nothing like UT. No matter what faces the university, I would never want to be anywhere else. I have gotten a wonderful education, been involved in countless organizations which have taught me so much and given me the opportunity to meet many people. UT gives you the opportunity to grow in more ways than one. It has provided me with a well rounded education. I have gotten to continue my music (I play the violin and my minor is in music), as well as do many other things.

DB: What would you like to tell incoming freshmen?

EC: I would tell incoming freshman to take advantage of every day that they have at the University of Tennessee. Your college years will go by quicker than you could probably imagine, so soak in everything that UT has to offer by joining various clubs and organizations and taking advantage of going to football, basketball games, playing intramural, etc. You meet so many people this way and you will enjoy your college experience more.

DB: What have you been doing this summer in preparation for the new school year?

EC: This summer I have been speaking to Orientation and signing freshmen up for the SGA. We have a big year ahead of us. I have been working on having a Gubernatorial debate, as well as a legislative debate this fall. I am working on this with the Faculty Senate President, Michael Combs. On behalf of the SGA, I am organizing a ‘Voter Awareness Week’ for the beginning of school. Aside from the projects, I have been working to implement the policy that I sat forth when I ran for president.

DB: What is your biggest goal this year? How will you accomplish it?

EC: My biggest goal for next year is government affairs. This was the bulk of my platform. We need serious people in office who are going to work to solve the problems of the state. This starts with our Government Affairs Committee, which I am going to make larger and more open. Aside from registering students to vote, I will inform students by various debates that we will hold on campus, flyers outlining candidates platforms, and a ballot posted in the Beacon so that students know what it will look like. We are also working to have early voting on campus. I think it will also help out by having voting on the UC Plaza.

DB: Why do you believe there is a negative feeling towards the SGA among students?

EC: I believe that there has been a negative feeling towards the SGA in the past, but I feel like many people started to get involved and interested after this past election. I want to keep everyone interested and involved in the process. Many people have a negative feeling towards SGA because students don’t feel like they do anything and that they stay in their little bubble. I know that past administrations have tried to reach out to students, but I don’t think that it has been successful.

DB: How can you reverse the trend?

EC: I want to see SGA get out of the office and from the typical way of doing things and really reach out to “students” and hear what they have to say. The old way of doing things is not the vision that I have for SGA. On behalf of the SGA we need to show students what we do and how they can be part of the process. The SGA should be fun. I want to see more events held for students to increase unity and involvement. The SGA does a lot of great things, but we need to be more vocal in getting the word out about why we are doing, what we are doing and how it will make an impact on campus and for UT.

DB: What do you want to do after you leave UT?

EC: After graduation in the spring, I want to go to graduate school for public administration. I would like to go somewhere in Tennessee or Washington, DC. After graduate school, I am still open to all options, but I would like to be involved with politics in some form.