Presidential beginnings in Men’s Hall spur student body leader
Rachel Arehart
Antelope Staff
As president of Men’s Hall in the 2015-2016 school year, Rachel Flaugh was able to obtain a piano to replace the old residence hall instrument, which was out-of-tune and worn down.
As student body president of UNK in 2016-2017, Flaugh is working to improve the campus by renovating the Nebraskan Student Union and the library, and to better connect student voices to the Board of Regents.
Flaugh is a Hartington senior from who is majoring in chemistry with a health-science emphasis is minoring in political science. In addition to being the student body president, Flaugh is involved in the Honors Program and does research with the Chemistry Department.
Q&A
Q: What is your platform, and what are you doing for the campus?
A: The current platform that we are working on is following through with the Union renovations. Those are scheduled to go before the Board of Regents in March, which is really exciting. They have kind of been finalized, and I’ve been going to meetings regularly to help out with some discussions to express the importance of bringing renovations to the Union. It’s exciting to see how much the Union will change over the summer.
Additionally, we are currently in the process of working with the Board of Regents to analyze how students can really have a voice in expressing how important it is to have adequate funding to the University. We’re facing these budget cuts, and it’s especially important that students stay informed.
We are scheduled to have some renovations in the library, such as new carpeting and a face-lift. We are sending a survey out to students because we would like to hear their voice on this issue.
Q: How does being a member of the Honors Program benefit you?
A: Being a member of the Honors Program set me up with the right connections off the get-go as a freshman. I had great mentors and advisors encouraging me to get involved in things on campus. Dr. Falconer and Jane Christensen, as well as upperclassmen I met in Men’s Hall were really instructive in telling me which student organizations would best suit my interests and where I could personally make an impact and help out on campus.
Additionally, the Honors Program has given me a wonderful scholarship that has made me so grateful to this university and so committed to giving back. That’s encouraged me to get out there and assume leadership positions.
Q: What did you learn from being Men’s Hall president a year ago?
A: Men’s Hall was a confidence boost and a wake-up call because leadership positions in college are so much different than in high school. That taught me to go outside my comfort zone and realize what it meant to truly be independent with leadership, and so that’s what inspired me to run for student body president and also gave me some qualities that made me more capable as a leader.
Q: How has being a student leader of the campus changed your UNK experience?
A: I believe that everyone’s college experience is what you make of it. You can go into college, go to your classes and learn what you’re supposed to in order to get a degree, but being involved in leadership and student organizations adds so many qualities to what you would obtain in college.
Campus leadership teaches you how to be passionate about something, like representing people that you care about. Campus leadership teaches qualities outside the classroom that are really important like courage, independence, self-motivation, and commitment to your education.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I have gone to a total of ten medical school interviews, and I just found out that I got accepted into UNMC, which is super exciting because I love Nebraska. I’m not entirely sure I’ll end up next year, but I’ll definitely be in medical school learning to be a great doctor someday.
