Juniors Mild Du and Noah Schmit walked around the Bethel Student Government office reminiscing about their past experiences in BSG and looking forward to their future as leaders. They pointed out where the executive directors sit, showed their future office space — currently decorated by current BSG President Trey Adelsman — and explained the fantasy football bulletin board. 

Next year’s Student Body President Du and Vice President Schmit shared goals for next year’s term. Du and Schmit will use their three years of experience in BSG as they prepare for next year.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be in this position, to be able to make a change … and give back to the community that has taken us in,” Du said.

Both were senators for their freshman and sophomore years, and Du currently serves as Student Body Vice President. She thought that being involved in Student Senate would drain her, but decided to get involved anyway after being in student government in middle and high school. Schmit joined because Adelsman, who was in the senate at the time, was his freshman RA and told him to, so he gave it a try.

“I had never done student government before [freshman year], but it’s like fun, nerdy people,” Schmit said. 

When Du saw Schmit for the first time, she thought, He looks like he’d be a politician. After they got to know each other in the spring of their freshman year, they realized they have similar goals for Bethel. Last year, Du had wanted to run with him, but Schmit spent spring semester studying abroad in Spain. 

When BSG made a statement of opinion about faculty cuts last fall, Du and Schmit represented the students as they communicated with the administration. Representing their peers as senators, Du and Schmit were two of the writers and helped organize a Q&A with President Ross Allen, Provost Robin Rylaarsdam and Vice President of Student Experience Miranda Powers.

“I always really enjoy being a voice for the students,” Schmit said. “There are a lot of things we don’t talk about, so it’s important to bring it to light and make those changes.”

During their time in the senate, administrative tasks didn’t always take up their time. Team bonding is something that BSG values, like when Du organized a game of blindfolded dodgeball. Everyone was paired up — one person had a blindfold and only the person with the blindfold could throw the ball. Another time they played Jeopardy for their February team bonding. They had categories with badly described movies, Bethel celebrity couples and love songs. Or the time they played Fish Bowl  — a game that resembles charades. Everyone wrote four words to put in the bowl. The first round they had to describe it, the second round they acted it out and the last round they said one word.

“I’m really excited to lead our own team,” Schmit said. “To see how we can pour into those people. [To make] a place where students can come together and invest in the Bethel community.”

Next year, Du and Schmit hope to create a “greener” campus. They want to work on the recycling program, a composting program and being bee-friendly. They want to bring in at least one composting bin and make recycling more visible. 

They also hope to get more students to the Underground — a new branch for BSG after the space was remodeled last year — and work on intramurals, which are now under BSG’s control instead of the athletics department’s.

“We’re here to help grow [recent changes],” Du said. “If we focus on our own changes, then it’s going to be a cycle every year.”

Already, Du and Schmit are preparing for next year. They are interviewing students for executive director positions and building their team. Over the summer, they will work with the financial officer on the budget and plan for “boot camp,” the term used to describe the two weeks before school when directors train.

“I want to be able to represent Bethel students well and be able to make a change on campus,” Du said. “You don’t have to be Student Body President or Student Body Vice President to make a change, and anyone can.”