A Farewell Address

The following was sent to the DCGA Updates Email List. To subscribe to receive updates, click here and press "send."

Fellow Denison Community Members,

As many of you know, my term as Student Body President ended just over a week ago at the DCGA Inaugurations. Before passing this email list onward, though, I felt it appropriate to send a concluding email with some final updates and acknowledgements.

First, for those of you who were following the Oswalt Resolution (requesting that Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt reconsider the effects of mandating the reports of sexual assault victim names to law enforcement), it passed a vote of 37-0. I was able to speak with Prosecutor Oswalt, and he is very interested in speaking before the Student Senate to address concerns raised, and I anticipate that the new Senate -- once established -- will take him up on his offer.

Second, I want to recognize student organization Deaf Culture Awareness Club, faculty member Audrey "Wondergirl" Anton, as well as students Becky Fink, Molly Finn, and Audrey Gross. Each were recognized for modeling the ideal of "active citizenship" enshrined in Denison's mission statement at the first ever DCGA Citizenship Awards last week. They will have information regarding their accomplishments in the DCGA glass case in Slayter Union, and I encourage you to check it out.

Finally, I want to thank you for receiving weekly student government updates and remaining aware of campus affairs. I remember first creating this list in August of last year as a response to breakdowns in communication that resulted in students protesting in front of Doane during Finals Week of Spring 2009. At that time, I don't think I could have ever believed that a nearly a third of students would be voluntarily subscribed to it. When I campaigned for the office DCGA President, I had a vision of a not just a student government but a true students' government -- one that enables any student to have voice and make Denison a better place; through your involvement within campus discourse in subscribing to these emails, you have helped this vision come alive. I truly cannot say how happy that this makes me. Thank you so much.

This year has been whirlwind of activity for the student government: we started weekly tabling rotations so that students could interact more frequently with their representatives; we allocated our $800,000 student activities budget to student organizations without backlash for the first time I've seen in my time at Denison; we revived Buzzy the

Buzzard as our unofficial mascot, bolstering Denison spirit; we hosted the first ever Ohio Student Government Leaders Conference, creating a network of student governments across Ohio that we can now use as a resource in years ahead; we completed a comprehensive overhaul of governing documents, including the passing of a new DCGA Constitution by student body referendum with 95% voting in favor; we broadened the agenda and authority of our Academics Committee, creating a flexible and dynamic Policy Committee better suited to responding to student needs and desires; we greatly increased the number of food options in the dining halls for students with food allergies; we expanded "Trayless Tuesdays," reducing waste by transitioning into a more sustainable trayless cafeteria; we rezoned parking to more efficiently use space on campus; we brought held open forums with security officers to improve our relations; we have a proposal for gender neutral housing that will hopefully be brought into action in the fall of 2011; we asked the teaching faculty to adopt the new "P" general education requirement to outfit our community members with skills and perspective that will help us all succeed in our increasingly diverse community, and they heard us and passed the motion; and we asked the administration to make student safety a priority in disciplinary cases, supporting the adoption of Medical Amnesty which is used frequently as students get help for themselves and others.

My most moving memory of our student government, though, is when I received a letter in my Slayter Box from an international student in the mail. The letter was addressed to this student, and it was informing her that she, along with other international students, would not receive the financial aid she needed to study off campus next semester as she planned. She had placed it in my mailbox -- the words "Please help us!" scribbled at the top of the letter. I met with this student, and guided her to write a draft of a resolution to be brought before the Student Senate. This draft was taken into the Rules Committee and Academic Committee, and eventually was passed through our Senate with unanimous consent. Together with the faculty, we were able to persuade the top administrators to reverse their decision; today, this student is studying off campus in part because of our student government and the efforts we made.

I mention our accomplishments because all that has been done this year could not have been possible without community members like you taking ownership of your student government, and I would like to once again thank you for your involvement. I truly hope that you continue to keep aware of campus affairs and are never afraid to make changes that will improve our campus. I encourage you to also thank your representatives for their service this year; they worked hard to make Denison a better place for those who will follow us, and I know that I am tremendously grateful for their time and dedication.

While I am passing this email address on to newly inaugurated DCGA President Robert Moore, please do know that you can always feel free to contact me at my other Denison email, brisso_h@denison.edu. It truly has been an honor, a pleasure, and a privilege to serve a student body that has been my family for all of my time here at Denison. I could not be more proud of our student body, all that we have accomplished, and all that we will continue to accomplish. Once again, thank you all so much for everything.

Yours in Service,

Eric "Harry" Brisson

Student Body President, 2009-2010
Denison University

Congratulations to DCGA President Robert Moore!

Photos credits: Audrey Gross