April 23, 2020
The results are in: Ethan Bradley of Royal Oak and Annabella Jankowski of Farmington Hills are the new president and vice president of the Oakland University Student Congress.
“I decided to run for president because I appreciate the welcoming environment that OU has provided for me and I want to help give others the same experience,” said Bradley, who is currently in his second year at OU and studying political science and philosophy. “The services that OUSC provides help students to succeed and to feel at home at OU.”
As president of the OUSC, Bradley said one of his goals will be to continue on with the previous administration's efforts to make textbooks more affordable and accessible to students.
“As a continuation of the Open Educational Resources initiative that (past) President Destinee Rule and (past) Vice President Julia Alexander ran, we want to work with faculty to ensure that the textbooks being assigned are as affordable as possible without compromising their academic value,” he said.
In addition to student finances, Jankowski said the OUSC will also work more on mental health initiatives to support OU students.
“With the COVID-19 Pandemic affecting many individual's day-to-day lives, we anticipate this issue becoming greater than ever before,” she said. “As such, we want to provide more support for students in any ways that we can. We have been working with OU RecWell to bring back the iPause Stress management program and intend to work with Graham Counseling Center in the future to make mental health care more accessible to students.”
Jankowski, who is in her second year at OU and double majoring in international relations and Japanese, said she decided to run alongside Bradley due to their shared passion for improving the lives of OU students.
“Before I became vice president, I held a number of different positions on campus, such as working as a nightwatch attendant in Oak View Hall and a peer wellness ambassador for OU Recreation and Well-Being,” she said. “I was also previously involved with OUSC as the student services director and I enjoyed what I was doing and being able to have a tangible impact on student life and wanted to continue to make efforts to do so in a different way.”
Bradley and Jankowski said they would encourage any students who want to get involved on campus to “just go for it.”
“OU is far more fun, more welcoming, and more fulfilling when you engage with everything it has to offer,” Bradley said. “For students who wish to join the OUSC, we are in the process of making it easier to join despite the pandemic shutting down campus, so it has never been easier to become a member.
“My other piece of advice for students wishing to get involved is to try out different things,” he added. “Maybe you attend a couple of OUSC meetings and decide it's not for you, but that doesn't mean you can't join something else and contribute to the OU community in a way that you enjoy.”
Jankowski agreed.
“At OUSC, we have many opportunities for students to get involved with what we do, such as joining a committee or becoming a legislator,” she said. “My advice for students wanting to get involved is to not let setbacks discourage them. Before taking my position as student body vice president, I experienced many rejections and setbacks with getting involved. While it was disheartening at first, I took it upon myself to allow myself to process, but then to not let myself remain discouraged and learn from my mistakes. Keeping an open mind is important as well, as sometimes unanticipated opportunities will arise that can have a profound impact on both oneself and others.”
For more information about the Oakland University Student Congress, including opportunities for students to get involved, visit oakland.edu/osi/student-organizations/ousc or email [email protected].