By Katana Liebelt
Student Development hosted the annual Leadership Preview Night on Jan. 21 to discuss on-campus student leadership positions for the 2021-2022 academic year. With applications due on Feb. 9, many applicants have already begun the extensive process of interviewing for a variety of different on-campus positions.
Student leadership positions are divided amongst five different departments—SAB, Mosaic, Campus Ministries, Residence Life and ASNU. In addition to positions for the 2021-2022 academic year, students were also able to apply for the role of orientation assistant. Below, you will find information regarding the role of each department and what they look for in student leaders.
SAB
The Student Activities Board, known as SAB, engages students socially, physically and emotionally through planning campus events big or small. Before COVID-19, they planned a variety of events such as the first 6 weeks and Screaming Eagles Week. Their goal is to build community and serve their peers. SAB is looking for leaders that can be organized, think through details, embody team spirit, be hospitable and have a servant’s heart.
Mosaic
Mosaic seeks to celebrate diversity among students and encourages them to engage with current events. It plans events that discuss relevant topics such as cultural or on-campus issues. Since Mosaic roles are flexible, leaders help each other with tasks outside of their positions.
Oscar Ornelas, Mosaic Assistant Director, said, “Any and all personality traits would fit into Mosaic because it’s more so at the end of the day how the team itself molds together…The [leaders’] personalities on the team go ahead and mix so well that everything comes to a constant balance.”
Campus Ministries
Campus Ministries aims to guide Northwest’s spiritual growth. Micah Lorenz, Associate Campus Pastor for Spiritual Formation and Discipleship, explained that they fulfill this by developing students’ personal, relational, congregational and missional spiritual formation.
Associate Campus Pastor for Care and Coordination Megan Netherton said, “You don’t have to be an extrovert to be a student leader or really social person. [A leader should] just [be] someone who cares about people and cares about helping our community be the best that it can be.”
Residence Life
Residence Life offers the position of RA, or Resident Assistant. RAs serve students in specific residence halls or apartment areas. Their goals are to create a home for their residents, point residents to Christ’s love and be the first response in the case of an emergency. RAs must become familiar with NU’s lifestyle policies and housing processes.
ASNU
Associated Students of Northwest University (ASNU) is run by students for students. This is not just a slogan. ASNU “directly affects students, as it should,” said ASNU Vice President Gracie Robeson. Robeson said that leaders “should love Northwest and be ready and willing to put in the work to make it better year after year.” Unlike most positions, students must apply and be elected for ASNU positions.
For the 2021-2022 academic year, ASNU will hold elections for the role of student body president, vice president, and chief of staff on Wednesday, Feb. 24 following both chapel times where students will have an opportunity to hear from each candidate.
The student body president candidates for this year include Alissa Accetturo, Brandon Jones, Blessing Gasela Mhlanga and Zachariah Shelton. Both vice president and chief of staff candidates—Gracie Robeson and Alexandria Hernandez, respectively—are running unopposed in this election but will still need a majority vote to be elected.
With students already involved in the application process for each department, we encourage students to support their friends and peers through the process, to grow through the experience and to be excited for the new leadership teams.
