Andrew Learned won the 2008 Student Government presidential election with about 70 percent of the student vote saying in his campaign that he would try to bring a number of changes to UT.’
As Learned reflected back on his presidency, he thinks he did his best to keep his campaign promises.
Learned kept a cut out copy of an August 2008 Minaret article entitled ’10 Changes We Want to See’ posted by his desk in his room in Straz Hall. Part of the article called on Learned and his former running mate, Kelsie Huth, to follow through on their campaign promises.
Learned said he specifically campaigned on promises to change UT’s alcohol policy, improve meal exchanges, encourage school spirit and to introduce a new SG constitution.
Learned said he did make many big promises and said he had to settle for some middle ground resolutions.
Alcohol Policies
Learned started the petition to change the alcohol policies when he was on senior Congress before he was SG president.
Learned said when he was president he tried to change the social hosting policy.
He said they added a stipulation in the Code of Conduct where the minimum sanction can be waived by the conduct board for social hosting.
Currently one of the minimum sanctions if a student is found responsible for social hosting is termination from campus housing.
Learned said he knew the alcohol policy wouldn’t drastically change overnight, but he fought in SG and with the administration to bring change.
Regarding his promises on alcohol policies and following through with them, Learned gave himself a B grade.
He said they made a lot of compromises and found some good middle ground. ‘The policy is significantly better now than it was before,’ Learned said.
Security Policies
Learned said he didn’t remember making specific campaign promises regarding security policies but that it was tagged along with changing alcohol policies. He said his biggest problem was with the policy that students could get written up for being intoxicated on campus, even if they were 21. He said he believes the minimum sanction for being intoxicated on campus has been lowered.
Meal Exchanges
Learned said they got some new meal exchanges policies added, including chicken in the pasta at Pandini’s and smoothies at Dairy Queen. He said they did have to cut some meal exchanges, including one of the chicken sandwiches at Stadium, but he said in exchange they got chicken in the pasta.
The New SG Constitution
Learned is particularly proud of the new SG constitution, which was passed by a vote in the SG General Assembly but is still pending approval by the UT administration.
‘There’s a lot of stuff we did that effects organizations,’ Learned said. ‘If you’re part of an organization you are going to be better represented and your reps are going to be more accountable for their votes and you’re going to be able to have a lot more resources at your disposal.
‘If you’re not affiliated with an organization then you should realize that there is a much bigger pot of resources and much more student involvement in the process.’ Learned added that regular students can now have a more say in the dispersing of the SG budget.
Facing the student population’s wrath
The August 2008 Minaret article stated that it expected Learned and Huth to follow through with their ideas, ‘or face the student population’s wrath by December.’
‘I think we did most of them by December,’ Learned said. He said the two big things he campaigned on, meal exchanges and alcohol policy, were done over the summer in 2008.
Learned gave his team an ‘A’ grade overall for being proactive and for being student leaders defending the student body. He said he fought hard for students’ rights with the new constitution; especially regarding the administration’s pending approval of the new constitution.
Learned said other areas he worked on were commuter student issues and fostering more school spirit.
He said he was proud of the turnout of the Black Out basketball game and the Pink Out volleyball game.
Learned has faced criticism from The Minaret throughout his tenure as SG President. He did not want to comment again on accusations made by The Minaret regarding giving out Tampa Bay Storm tickets and candy during his 2008 campaign; instead he encouraged students to read his response letter to the editor from January 2009.
Personal experiences from SG
Learned said his time as SG president has made him want to continue a career in politics.
Currently he is lined up with an internship with Hillsborough County Commissioner, Mark Sharpe.
Learned is going into the Navy when he graduates and said it will be a couple years before he can get into politics.
Learned said he would easily put 40 to 50 hours a week into working as the SG president and said the goals he set for himself provided him with the energy to keep working, especially regarding fighting the UT administration for student rights.
Advice for 2009 SG Candidates
As the outgoing SG president, Learned said ‘I would hope that the new candidates would continue to have the mindset that they don’t work for the administration.
‘If something doesn’t make sense to you, don’t just take their word for it, stand up and say something about it.’
Learned was happy for Kelsie Huth and Chris McCarthy, the winners of 2009 SG presidential and vice presidential election.
‘They’re great, quality people that know what they’re doing. I think they’re going to bring good changes.’
Learned’s tenure as SG President ended on Tuesday April 21.
During the interview with Learned, he urged to The Minaret to add this note to the end of the article, which he claims he has tried to get published multiple times but it never works out:
Learned wants to remind the ladies of UT that he is currently single.
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