Docherty: president in action

Photo by Matt Styer

Standing at 6-foot 4 inches, with glasses and a curly mop of brown hair, the 20-year-old Catholic Kevin Docherty leads the student body along with his co-president, Bryce Bergey.

Backed by a young executive cabinet, Docherty has started the year strong with intentions to strengthen the Student Government Association (SGA) along with the voice of the students. In one of the first SGA meetings this semester, Docherty initiated a ritual in which each senator and member of the cabinet takes hold of the handmade gavel gifted to SGA years ago and recites the phrase "this is the sound of the student voice," followed by the concussion of the gavel against the table.

This is just one example of the many changes that have been evident at SGA meetings this semester. Some other changes are the nametags for all of the senators and cabinet members, notebooks including a copy of the constitution, and the much-anticipated return of SGA T-shirts.

Docherty has made a conscious effort to make SGA more formal than it has been in the past few years. "We are trying to make SGA a more formal organization in the way that we run meetings and the level of commitment that we expect from senators. Formality is a good way to create significance, and it puts on a good face for the higher-ups of the university," he said.

When asked if formality is sometimes a put-off for students, he replied, "that is definitely the opposite side of the coin. It is something that we are conscious of and try to make sure our senators know the rules and at the same time make sure that SGA is open to the student body and is very approachable."

Being involved on campus and as a senator last year, Docherty is very aware of the successes and mistakes of past years' SGAs. "Take the teach-ins in 2001 for example," said Docherty. "They were very positive events that SGA put on and they had a major effect on the campus community. In the following years there have been times when SGA hasn't acted as decisively as it could have but I don't blame that on poor leadership."

Docherty feels that many SGA presidents get thrown into the role without any real training or preparation. He and Bergey made a deliberate effort to prepare themselves and be devoted to a high level of commitment for the upcoming year.

Raised a Catholic, Docherty has a unique position as a student leader in a Mennonite institution. When asked how this affects his position, he replied, "It is definitely something that I'm aware of, and I think that it does affect my leadership because I'm not a member of the Mennonite church and there are areas of discussion that I try not to get overly involved in; for example, the homosexuality issue.

"It is not my church and it is not my place to influence the policies of the church as a nonmember. I certainly try not to be as vocal, but I am more than willing to share my opinions if I'm asked. I feel like my greatest influence is not on the policy side but on the process side. I feel like my role is in making sure that a decision is made and that students who do have opinions have the opportunity to be heard."

In some university and college administrations, the student government often acts as a buffer to dampen the impact between unhappy students and the administration. A common complaint is its potential use as a pacifier, giving the students a minimal amount of power and some menial tasks so that they feel a sense of control on campus. Although Docherty recognizes that this "is certainly a concern," he said, "This year we are trying to be really deliberate that the SGA agenda is set by students and that the various administrative tasks are streamlined so that SGA can free up more time that can be dedicated to larger issues."

When asked if he feels the administration at EMU has a genuine respect for the students and the SGA, he responded, "Absolutely. I think a lot of times it is really easy for students to portray the administration as this all-powerful enemy who is uncaring and does not have the students' interests at heart. But I think that they really respect students who are willing to voice their opinions and who respect their peers."

One of the biggest concerns for student governments on many campuses is a general sense of student apathy. Docherty feels that this is mostly a problem of students not knowing what opportunities exist for them and being unaware of ways to get involved and have their voices heard.

If students are unhappy with an issue or situation on campus Docherty recommends that they "come talk to any member of SGA, any senator or drop by the SGA office anytime Monday through Wednesday, 6 - 8 p.m. I really believe that SGA can have a lot of influence for students within the EMU power structure."