An inside look at our new student body president Susan Webster

Ahead of the election results, TheTab UF sat down with the new University of Florida Student Body President Susan Webster to learn more about her, her candidacy, and what she will bring to the University of Florida.

Tell the readers a little bit about yourself.

“I am a fourth generation Gator, so Orange and Blue runs in my family. I have been involved in this campus in a lot of different facets over my four years at the University of Florida. I served as Senate President in which I chaired a 100-person Senate and we put on initiatives and promoted resources the University has to offer. I am excited to be your new Student Body President.”

Why did you choose to come to UF?

“Well, the biggest thing that pushed me to come here is that I am a fourth generation Gator. So Orange and Blue is something that is really in my blood. It runs in my family.”

Describe FSU in one word

“Ooooo”

Or a phrase, it could be a phrase. Your thoughts on FSU.

[laughing] “Don’t hate us because you ain’t us.”

Favorite spot on campus?

“The stadium. It’s a place where I’ve grown up because I have gone to so many football games, ever since I was three years old and so it’s a place that represents tradition for my family. I’ve sat in the seats that my great-grandparents sat in while they were at UF, so the stadium is a very special place for me and my family.”

Favorite Bar/Club in town?

“Bar or club?”

Maybe none. You can be a stay-at-home type of person. I don’t know.

“Yeah, I am a… [pauses]. This can go really south [laughs].”

It’s not a “gotcha,” I promise.

“Yeah [laughs]. I’m a big fan of The Swamp Restaurant, because I think it’s a place that any student can go to, but it’s also a great place that has truly been a staple for our university. So whether I’m going there with my parents, or my friends, it’s a place where any Gator can go and get a great meal.”

What’s your best memory of your time at UF?

“Wow. For me, it’s probably going to have to be two-fold. When we broke ground on the Field and Fork Food Pantry and months later when we did the ribbon cutting. The Field and Fork Food Pantry is a place on campus where any student, faculty, or staff can go and get a meal with no questions asked. So being able to be a part of that project from beginning to end was something that was inspiring and it truly showed me what the ‘Gator Good’ represents. It showed me that any student on campus can truly make an impact.”

What is one thing you wish you could change about UF?

“I think UF does a great job of giving students resources they can use if they don’t feel included on this campus, whether it’s U Matter We Care or Every Gator Counts. Something I would like to do is to make sure all students have resources and we have a campus and culture of care at the University of Florida. I want to make sure students of all backgrounds feel cared for while they’re here on campus.”

This one’s a little silly, but would you rather get attacked by a shark or an alligator?

“Sharks are actually one of my favorite animals. Weirdly enough, I think they are so interesting. But I think if you were able to put Kishan, BJ and myself in the water, through our leadership skills and teamwork, I think we could get through it.

“So either or. I’m cheesy as hell [laughs].”

Can you give me three main things you campaigned for and what you would bring to the Presidency and UF student body in general.

“There is truly a lot of different topics we hit in our platform, but one of the things that I think we really need to do is work to combat sexual assault on campus. This is something going on nationwide on many different campuses, so as Student Body President, I want to make sure the resources are available to the students so they know they don’t have to tackle this alone. The University and their peers are here to support them.

“In campus life improvement — this is something I think will be fun — is putting Gatorade dispensers around campus and in our gyms. Gatorade is a staple to our university and being able to promote that is something that I think students would love.”

Would you argue you are more open and transparent than those of the Access Party? 

“The Impact Party formed by students on the Access side and the Swamp side coming together because they saw both parties really lost the mission — our job is to really fight for every student on this campus and to put party politics aside.”

Why did the Impact Party form? Do you think people are looking for new ideas?

“The Impact Party was started by student leaders at the University of Florida who knew it was our job to put students above all else. I hopped on that mission right away because I believed in it, and I thought it was a great thing we were doing. The Senate was getting bogged down in party politics when it should really serve to reach every student on this campus.”

As the current Senate President, what would you do specifically to fix the Senate gridlock that has really been the story for student government over the past two semesters?

“So when I first became Senate President, one of my first priorities was to end that gridlock. I wanted to make sure all senators were reaching across the aisle and working together. My goal was, party politics aside, we must all work together. We had to achieve our mission of moving all Gators forward.

“Over the semester we have seen great collaboration and working together and I feel if I was able to help as Senate President, I am ready to help and make sure every student is working together in a collaborative environment.”

What will you do as President to make student government more understandable and more accessible for students to learn about what’s going on?

“I think that one of the biggest things our administration is going to be able to do is really have our boots on the ground and reach the students first hand. Whether it’s through student forums and listening to students, or similar to what President Fuchs did with his walking tour, we want to be able to meet with different students, colleges, student organizations and programs.

“We also want to promote something that will show transparency. Administrations in the past have done Student Government TV, which was basically a news channel that showed what student government was up to and how you could get involved. We are truly committed to making sure students feel welcome, so anything that would do that, we will make it a priority.”

So as I was trying to find more about the Impact Party, I actually came across a Facebook that is called Stop Impact Party on Campus. The members of the page are “Fed up with being lied to and manipulated.”

“Why the Impact Party was formed, and what we represent is the Gator Good. We are a group of students that care about UF and are putting our best foot forward. Something that we’ve seen time and time again from the Access Party is that they can be bullies sometimes. I don’t want any student to feel like they cannot be part of student government and sometimes the Access Party has put up this front and that is what happens.”

They accuse student government of being 83% Greek, not diverse, corrupt and power hungry. Do you think that’s indicative of how student government has been run? Is it the current status quo? Is that a fair characterization of your party? How do you respond?

“Currently what we are doing, is truly reaching out to any student possible and letting them know how we want to fight for them and what we’re going to do for them. As BJ said, we don’t want to push parties or candidates; we want to push students and ideas.”

Would you say it’s fair for some students on campus to be angry? Is this something you are trying to change? To allow them to have a voice in student government?

“Sure, if I was a student I would absolutely be upset with the way current government has been run. I have not seen tangible change. I have not been helped as a student and that truly is why the page was formed—to attack something that represents good.

“Like I said before, we’re here to represent the Gator Good and to fight for what’s right. Ignore the bullies and keep going. I don’t think that page has posted since the last campaign. I don’t know the reasoning for that, but I think that what we represent and what we’ve put out to students has been well received.”

Lastly, give us your final thoughts on BJ, Kishan, and yourself.

“Beyond what we’ve done on campus and beyond the different leadership skills that we have, BJ, Kishan, and I are friends. We are three students who work together well. We are three students who love this university and the students that go here. We’re going to serve the students. We resonate with the Gator Good. We are three proud Gators and we’re proud to serve this university.”

Note: This interview was edited for clarity and length. To check out more about the Impact Party, head to impactpartyuf.com