Vikhyath Veeramachaneni, Theta Xi/VCU 2014, an information systems major, was recently elected President of the Student Government Association. During the election, Vik ran against one other candidate and collected 838 votes.
“We had a three-day period of voting for the elections. I finished with nearly 60 percent of the votes and the highest total for anyone participating in this election,” said Veeramachaneni. “I am grateful to have had great support from my Brothers, many friends and fellow classmates. Their help pushing my campaign forward and the personal approach with students on campus were key factors that contributed to my success,” he added.
Veeramachaneni also currently serves as Chapter president for Theta Xi chapter and plans to fulfill the rest of his term. He sees his time as Chapter president as launching point to his leadership abilities.
“I think my experience as President of Theta Chi was a great launching point in gaining confidence in my leadership abilities and qualities,” said Veeramachaneni. “I quickly learned how to distinguish personal relationships with my role's responsibilities as well as learning how to see the big picture moving,” he continued.
As President of the VCU student body, Veeramachaneni hopes to make a significant impact and accomplish some major goals. Some of the endeavors he is pushing for are:
- Advocacy at the state government level regarding the rising cost of higher education
- Coming together with fellow SGA Presidents in Virginia to create a strong unity and relationships between universities
- Start a Speaker Series at VCU, which will open the doors for intellectual legacy and conversations for many years to come
- Build stronger relationships with Student Organizations and help cultivate a strong student voice on many important issues that are sure to occur throughout the academic year
Some of the immediate changes that students at Virginia Commonwealth University can expect to see are:
- Improved representation in our elections of SGA Senators. The plan is to elect Senators based on their respective school of study, in order to address the issues and concerns that come up within schools.
- Tailgating events and game day atmosphere for students prior to our home basketball games to create an amazing environment to support our successful Athletic Department and student athletes.
- Improved communication and presence on campus. We will be revealing a new website and strong efforts to reach out to our fellow students on a personal level. This should help simplify the communication and information that any student wishes to pursue.
Veeramachaneni thinks that with consideration to their interests and class schedules that he would recommend being involved in SGA to his Theta Chi Brothers.
“The key though is having the time to really get involved and understanding the significance advocacy can have for the student body,” said Veeramachaneni. “Being involved with SGA will allow for exposure to many other aspects of life on campus as well as meeting very motivated and smart minds. It is something that I think provides a great experience. Like with anything though it will come down to 'what you put into the organization is what you get out',” he continued.
Check out the article written by the VCU newspaper here.
We congratulate Brother Veeramachaneni on being elected Student Body President and wish him much success in his new role!