The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The presidential Life: a day with Ashley Adams

As president of the Student Government Association (SGA), Ashley Adams says her biggest duty is to “keep the student body happy.” And for fulfilling that duty, she earns free tuition during her year in office.

Adams is one of seven student leaders, including editor in chief of The Northeastern News, who receive free tuition from the university while in office. That policy has been called into question this semester, and may soon be replaced by the proposed Leadership Scholars Program.

Adams’ position, to serve as a link between almost 20,000 full- and part-time students and the Northeastern administration, is “by far, unquestionably, the most demanding job in student leadership at Northeastern,” said SGA Executive Vice President for Student Affairs John Guilfoil.

As students, student leaders and administration debate different proposals, The News spent a day with Adams to give students a look at the day-to-day duties of the SGA president.

Walking into her office around 9 a.m. last Wednesday, Adams was greeted by an array of papers and folders on her desk.

One of her responsibilities as president is to attend meetings with student organizations and university committees. Adams must supervise all five vice presidents and their committees and lead the association’s weekly meetings.

Last Wednesday, her agenda included the President’s Luncheon, where she introduced President Richard Freeland before a crowded audience in the Curry Student Center.

In that speech, Adams reminisced about the school year, emphasizing the success of events like Homecoming and the first-ever spring formal. Adams was one of the first on the scene to greet students as they walked through the door. She also coordinated a question-and-answer session so those in attendance could direct questions to President Freeland.

Her day continued with meetings with the SGA executive board members and a closed meeting about the fate of the leadership scholarships.

As last week was Alumni Week at Northeastern, Adams’ commitments piled up. On Wednesday, she had to be present for speeches made by alumni in the Curry Student Center. Adams said she viewed this event as a break since she did not have to take part, but simply sit back and listen. After the speeches, however, the break was over and Adams had to run over to the Cabot Center for a basketball game between alumni and students, which she agreed to referee at the last minute.

With a day on campus that ends no earlier than 9 p.m., Adams relies on her weekends to get schoolwork finished. “I do the whole week’s worth of work on Saturday and Sunday,” she said.

Adams is also a member of the International Affairs Society, the United Nations Association, Sigma Alpha Lamda and is assistant director of Homecoming 2006.

Even though Adams’ day is packed tight with things to do, she said she finds pleasure in the small things, like sharing a joke with a friend in the office before a meeting, the post-its her friends have stuck on her computer screen that read “I heart Ashley” or even just swapping her heels for a comfortable pair of flip-flops.

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