Making a difference

After the annual Clemson Undergraduate Student Government elections are over, the slogan-plastered sheets are taken down from the amphitheater and the celebrations of the newly elected officers are over, what happens next?

Plenty. Just ask the current CUSG president, senior Josh Bell, who now leads the 150-plus members in representing the needs of the undergraduate student body (yes, all 14,000 of them) to faculty and staff.

Bell decided to throw his name in the presidential ring last spring because of his “dedication to be a passionate, humble servant for the student body,” he said. “I believed that I could make a difference for students of today and tomorrow.”

Now that he is president, Bell is serving students by encouraging them to use their voices to enact change. One of Bell’s missions during his presidency is to improve communication with students, building upon CUSG’s stated goal of being “the first place on campus a student can turn with any problem relating to student life.” He believes that students must get involved and speak up to both make a difference on campus and to grow as individuals.

“Our rich history and traditions come alive when you get involved inside or outside of the classroom,” Bell added. “I’ve learned more from my experiences beyond the classroom than I ever imagined I could.”

As if his CUSG responsibilities weren’t enough to keep his calendar full, Bell also is a campus tour guide and a member of Blue Key, Tiger Brotherhood and Sigma Nu. Oh yeah, and he takes classes. How does he manage to balance his extracurricular and academic responsibilities?

“It is a difficult task to juggle these two very important and very different responsibilities. I have gotten good at last-minute preparation,” he admitted.

The juggling act is worth it to Bell, and he advocates getting involved outside of the classroom to anyone who will listen: “Get involved in any way that interests you.  Find a club with your interests. Create an intramural sports team. Attend an open house or fair that showcases all different organizations and find your niche.  If you can’t find something you like, call me and I’ll help you if I can.”

Give him a call. Trust us, he’ll do his best to help you. 

Josh Bell is a senior from Greenville, S.C., majoring in history. To learn more about undergraduate Student Government, go to http://www.cusg.net or visit the offices located next to Harcombe Dining Hall in Union Plaza.

Published January 2008