Jared Sharp is running for Southern Utah University student body president with Tanner Crosland as his executive vice president. Their campaign is focused on student connection, campus engagement and what they describe as authentic leadership at SUU.
Sharp is a senior at SUU, and his desire to improve campus life is the result of many years of involvement. He is currently the director of recreational clubs within the SUU Student Association Clubs Department. He is also a member of the Health Sciences Student Advisory Committee and is on the Western Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He also serves as president of the SUU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Through these roles, he has worked closely with student clubs to help them manage logistics, ensure compliance and increase participation.
On the athletic front, Sharp has also worked to increase attendance at events by encouraging teams to promote their games directly to students. This is one of the ways he hopes to engage with students, by being more present and listening to their needs.
These are issues also close to Crosland’s heart. One of the reasons he chose SUU was its size and the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with students.
“I love SUU because of the feel here. It’s a smaller town, it’s a smaller campus and I feel like I can connect with more students,” said Crosland. “I get to know more people because I have frequent interactions and I get to know them on a deeper level.”
This desire to build connections led him and his friends last semester to start a service club called SUU Serve. Not to be confused with the Community Engagement Center activity called Thunderserve, SUU Serve focuses on student-to-student outreach.
One of their projects has been giving flowers to students to lift their spirit.
“It was just a freezing cold, cloudy morning and it was like this time of the semester, where there’s not a lot of activities and everyone’s kind of on the grind,” explained Crosland. “So it was a good time this semester where people kind of needed a little bit of a boost.”
Crosland said that this experience reflected the same philosophy underlying their campaign: improving campus culture through positive interactions between students.
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“I’m always seeking opportunities to help people, and this position would give me more of those opportunities to help people on a wider scale,” said Crosland. “It would magnify my influence and the values and things that I stand for would be reflected in making SUU a better place for all students.”
One of their main proposals is to improve communication in terms of academic advising. According to Sharp, students often feel underprepared for classes because expectations are unclear or the information provided by advisors does not match the reality of the classroom.
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“One of the things we want to do is improve advisor teacher feedback so that advisors know what’s happening inside the classroom and teachers can get better feedback from that,” explained Sharp. “Then students get good advice from advisors, and they know what teacher they’re signing up for.”
Another priority is to revive long-standing campus traditions, such as outdoor movie screenings on the football field or the Upper Quad. Sharp said students have expressed interest in bringing back these types of social events.
They also hope to increase student involvement through initiatives such as a major multi-clubs fair, where several clubs will collaborate to explain what they provide for students. Crosland emphasized that authenticity is the key to trust.
“We want to be who we are and let that shine,” said Crosland. “I think authenticity is very important when it comes to leading people and gaining trust and (a) genuine connection with people.”
Their slogan is “Real people, real connections, real change.”
Both candidates will participate in the upcoming Pizza and Platforms event on Wednesday, Feb. 25. It will happen in the Sharwan Smith Student Center Living Room from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They look forward to continuing discussions with students about their ideas for improving the campus.
“Jared’s always stuck out as one that’s trying to engage with and connect with students, faculty and everyone,” added Crosland. “He’s not afraid to make changes and to put himself out there.”
They talk more about their projects on social media and are active on campus. Next week, they plan to hand out stickers and tour the school to interact directly with students.
Be sure to get informed and read the candidates’ platforms, so you can vote for the leaders who represent your needs. Voting will officially close on Friday, March 6, at 5 p.m.
For more information, follow SUUStudentLife on Instagram or email elections@suu.edu.
Author: Fanny Felixine
Editor: Heather Turner
Photos by Jared Sharp & Tanner Crosland
life@suunews.net
