LBCC Student Leadership Accepting Applications for Upcoming Election

The Student Leadership Council is looking for new students to join their team this winter.

Applications for the student body president and vice president will be open until Friday, Jan. 26. 

The Student Leadership Council (SLC) is a diverse team of Linn-Benton students who host various campus events, coordinate volunteer work in our community, and advocate for college issues important to students. According to current Vice President Travis Overvig, the council emphasizes the importance of supporting LB students and giving them a voice. 

“I would describe the SLC as a very warm, welcoming, and fun environment for any kind of student trying to find friends, experience, and work,” said Peeta Arenas-Galicia, the student volunteer coordinator. 

Arenas-Galicia is a sophomore at LBCC majoring in civil engineering. She’s been a part of the SLC for a year now and she first learned about it at Welcome Day when she was a freshman.

In regards to volunteering with the SLC, Arenas-Galicia said, “It is a great opportunity to either join or help out if they’re interested in any way. If you see an event that’s exciting, share it with your friends and come along. Because there’s a lot of work that goes (into) those events.”

Linn-Benton students who volunteer inside or outside of their school and community have the opportunity to receive paid tuition credits, LBCC merch, Amazon prizes, and more. One hundred hours of community volunteer work can earn students up to three paid tuition credits. 

“We do some fun events at the college, but also some volunteer work within the community,” Arenas-Galicia said. Her favorite volunteer event was the clean-up day at Waverly Park. Other recent events included a karaoke night and the book and plant swap. 

According to Arenas-Galicia, the easiest way to get involved is by “coming to the Student Union,” which is located in the Albany campus courtyard, next door to Roast Runners Cafe. “We are more than (happy) to welcome anyone who wants to help or participate.”

Upcoming SLC events and volunteer opportunities to be on the lookout for this February include: the Waverly Park clean-up day, a Mario Kart tournament, The Tie-Dye Experience, a Bowling Bash, and a free comedian event with Hayden Kristal. Check out @slc.connect on Instagram for more info, or see https://www.linnbenton.edu/main-calendar/calendar.php

Current Vice President Travis Overvig is majoring in business administration and has been a part of the council for a year. When asked what his favorite part of being the VP has been, Overvig said, “The relationships I’ve been able to grow and develop.” 

According to Overvig, the SLC has faced challenges in recent months of trying to find enough volunteers, funding for the program, and student engagement. Overvig is working to resolve some of these issues by creating a “Connections Table,” which would most likely be located in the courtyard in the near future. This would allow students to get to know some of the leadership team, find out what resources are accessible to them, and sign-up for volunteer opportunities.  

“The more engagement we have, the more feedback we get from students about what they want, what their needs are, and what we can do to try to help them out, if it’s food insecurity, housing insecurity, or textbook affordability,” he said. 

In regards to the election happening this week, Overvig said, “We have a couple candidates already and we’re hoping to get some more.”

Once applications close, candidates will have time to campaign with SLC-funded flyers and posters, and LB students will be able to cast their votes online. 

The Student Union is available to all students who want to get involved with LBCC and make new connections. It is open Monday-Friday from 9 am - 4pm. Their weekly Wednesday meetings are also open to anyone who is interested in learning more about the SLC. 

SLC Instagram: www.instagram.com/slc.connect 

Meet the Team: https://www.linnbenton.edu/student-life/student-leadership/council-officers.php 

Volunteer Opportunities: https://www.noblehour.com/linnbenton