10 Reasons to Consider Building Government
RSG Presidents 2017-2018 (Photo Cred Grace Martinez, RSG E Board)
By Maddie W. ‘20
When building government (BG) elections came around last year, I completely rejected the idea of running for a position as something I would NEVER do. However, when the application to campaign opened this year,I thought why not? I was looking for more leadership opportunities and wanted to be more involved on campus, so I decided to run for president of the Cale and Irani Residential Colleges. At the time, I really had no idea what I was signing up for, but being a part of residential student government (RSG) turned out to be an extremely formative experience.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with “BG” and “RSG,” let me break it down. Every residential college at USC has its own building government or “BG.” Most groups follow the same format of president, funding chair, eco chair, community outreach chair, social justice chair, advocacy chair, as well as vice presidents, floor representatives, students working on the building’s social media pages, and so on, but size of the organization can vary based on the size of the dorm or residents’ interest. Each building government is formed strictly by residents of that residential college, but each chair position is a part of residential student government, or “RSG.” RSG is formed by representatives from each res-ed college and led by a student executive board. They are responsible for assisting the BG’s with their work, as well as putting on campus-wide events for all of USC’s students.
The time commitment varies based on your position and your level of dedication, but as president, there was no shortage of meetings, retreats, emails, and events to deal with. However challenging it might have been to balance the responsibilities, I honestly learned SO much. The 10 reasons below detail all of the benefits and professional skills that one can enjoy just by joining their residential college’s building government.
1. Learn More About USC
As a student at USC, you get fairly used to events going on all. The. Time. There are countless opportunities to engage on campus, but before joining BG I never put much thought into how those events came to be. After being heavily involved in the planning process, I learned more about what it’s like to work with USC administrators, how events or programs get funded, and just how many people are working behind the scenes (spoiler: it’s a lot). I now have a much greater appreciation for the resources that go into the residential college experience.
2. Grow as a Leader
If you are looking to grow as a leader, then I highly recommend running for president of your building. I mentioned this earlier, but as president I had a lot of responsibilities. It definitely felt overwhelming at times, but I don’t think many campus leadership positions could have challenged me or resulted in as much personal growth as this one. I rapidly developed the skills to plan and run meetings, oversee and assist my peers, and be a liaison between administrators and students, all of which greatly improved my personal communication skills.
3. Gain Event Planning Experience
Interested in event planning? Run for programming chair! This position is in charge of organizing events for the building. Of course, they are assisted by everyone in BG, but the paperwork and details are their responsibility. The events are no small production, either. Most of the buildings have hundreds of residents, so you are planning for quite a few guests and working with a sizable budget.
4. Gain Graphic Design and Marketing Experience
Building government is also a great opportunity to gain experience in graphic design and marketing. Every BG needs a media chair, and the position is not elected– you just have to apply for it. Responsibilities include designing posters for events, creating a building government logo, and using social media to promote events.
5. Advocate for Equality and Inclusion
If you are passionate about social justice, there is a role for you, too. USC and RSG are very conscious of being inclusive and creating a residential experience that is comfortable and engaging for everyone, so they implemented the social justice and inclusion chair position, or “SJI chair.” This person is responsible for attending weekly meetings where they engage in lessons and discussions regarding various themes like race, religion, and gender. They are then asked to present to the BG on the theme of the week, and challenge the organization to create events that meet the study body’s diverse interests and needs.
6. Make Change Happen in Your Community
Advocacy chair is a really cool role that gives you the opportunity to work with USC administrators to implement changes that students want to see on campus. This can be something like the addition of water fountains in dorms, or the beginning of a mobile cart that sells necessities. The advocacy chair’s job is to engage with the residents in their building, listen to their ideas, and work with administrators to make those ideas into reality.
7. FREE STUFF
Most BG and RSG events involve free food or free giveaways. As a member of the organization, you are made aware of every free-stuff opportunity on campus!
8. Improve Your Time Management
Due to the volume of meetings and events that are involved with BG and RSG, time management is essential. It will definitely challenge you to be on top of your schedule. However, let me stress that the level of commitment varies by position, so if you are looking to be involved but don’t have the time to dedicate many hours a week, there are some application-based roles available (no campaigning involved).
9. Attend Retreat and Banquet
In the fall semester, after every BG has been formed, every RSG member goes on a retreat. This year, it was an overnight program at a summer camp-site a few hours away. It was really nice to escape campus for a weekend and see some real nature, plus I got to know a few of my building government members better. This was important, because BG requires a lot of collaboration so the team-bonding time was essential. At the very end of the year, there is the RSG banquet. This is a more formal affair, usually at some sort of bougie venue (this year was Skyspace downtown), and everyone gets dressed up. There is a very different vibe at the banquet than the retreat because at this point, you’ve spent a year working alongside these people! There is an emotional recap video, some awards presented to outstanding members, and –of course– some delicious free food.
10. Make New Friends
The best part of BG was the friends I made. Making friends in these organizations is kind of hard to avoid, because you spend so much time working together! I was able to find some great new friends in BG and RSG who I absolutely adore, and even though many of them lived in my building, I probably would have never met them if it weren’t for BG!
So if you are looking for a way to get more involved on campus, develop some professional skills, or meet new people, then pay attention next semester and keep an eye out for building government elections and applications!
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