Beginning in fall semester of 2018, current sophomore Daniel Palmer will take on the role of president of Student Government Association (SGA). Initially, Palmer felt surprised and extremely happy upon the news his team had won the election.
“It was a tough campaign against two great student leaders at Wright State. The surprise portion was mainly in part due to my absence from Wright State that week. I was in New York City representing the Model UN team. This, however, is a true testament to how hard my team worked,” he said.
Palmer’s trip to New York City had been planned a year in advance, and happened to fall on the specific week that voting would take place. Being in New York and struggling to energize students to vote led him to put all of his trust into his team while he was away, according to Palmer.
“My biggest goal with campaigning was to share our message with as many people as I could, and to do it in a professional manner. I believe that we had a great message to share with our students. I did not want to get involved in non-substantive debate and personal attacks,” Palmer said.
Some of Palmer’s biggest plans for his future presidency fall under campus beautification and safety. Other points of emphasis include textbook affordability, celebrating campus diversity and inclusion and working with groups all across campus to achieve our goals.
“We want our tunnels to look nice and to be something that we brag about to prospective students. Along the lines of beautification, we want to work with other student organizations to make the outdoor amphitheater a place where students can do a multitude of things from plays to Bid Days for our Greek Organizations,” Palmer explained.
Along the lines of safety, placing cameras and emergency buttons in the tunnels is being discussed. “We think that this is a good step in keeping our students safe. Additionally, we want to establish a protocol for active shooter situations so our students can react and find safety,” he continued.
During his time in SGA, Palmer has served on many committees with a focus on university policy, including the Undergraduate Academic Policies Committee, Inclusive Access Implementation Committee, Undergraduate Student Success Committee, and many more.
“I also believe my work in Columbus has prepared me for this. I have a good relationship with many elected officials and the Chancellor for Higher Education. Through my interactions, I have learned the importance of professionalism and policy that affects higher education. I can implement this knowledge to my interactions with Staff, Faculty, Administration, and Students on campus,” Palmer said.
The role of SGA president will open up many doors, as well as teaching the importance of serving others and bringing about great change, according to Palmer.
“It’s crazy to think that in ten years, I will be in my thirties. In this time, I see myself as a practicing attorney that is serving in an elected office in Columbus or Washington D.C. My dream job is to become the President of the United States. Although a tough task, I will continue to pursue that dream,” he said.
For Palmer, the most important part of his new role will be to shape the university for years to come, and to make people proud of Wright State. “I am extremely humbled for the opportunity to serve my fellow students next year. My administration and I will have an open door policy and want to hear the concerns of our students. We are here for them,” he said.
