Brandon Carroll

This speech is given to all the potential Hokies!

Hokie Focus Speech

Good Morning!

Life is about being the best that you can possibly be. Let me say that again. Life…is about being….the best…you can possibly be.

Martin Luther King once said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare composed poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper, who did his job well.”

Virginia Tech is about…being…the best you can possibly be.

My name is Brandon Carroll and I am the SGA President. It’s funny…because people say to me…wow you are the Student Government Assocaition President. I always respond, “no..I wouldn’t say it like that. My passion is to empower people. I desire to impact as many people as possible. Being the Student Body President is the vehicle, not the outcome; it allows me to impact others.” There is a big difference

Our central focus is the student voice, the collective voice. We aim to amplify it, and we strive to substantiate it.

What I have learned in my time as SGA President is simple: find your passion and follow your passion. You are all faced with an amazing opportunity. A choice that will forever shape your life.

When I first came here to Virginia Tech, I thought everything was about independence. At the time, I was an 18 year old teenager, I was too young to do what adults do, too old to do what kids do….so I did what nobody else would do….to assert my independence. That was my paradigm, my mindset, when I first came to Virginia Tech.

Boy was I wrong. If you decide to come to this University, you are going to learn that it’s about interdependence and not independence. Through interdependence, we get synergy, which means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  If you really want to be the best you can be, you have to work within a system that gives you synergy.

You see, being a Hokie is not a mercenary relationship. It is not a business proposition. It is not an exchange of goods and services for money. It is a shared bond, a love that comes from somewhere we don't understand and can't explain to others. We do not take from this university; it gives to us. Perhaps when we first arrive on its campus, we have our own selfish interests in mind, but by the time we leave, we are transformed. We are Hokies. 

If you do decide to join the Hokie family, Come here not only to live (pause) but to thrive. I stand here today, looking into a room of limitless opportunity; (pause) however your time is limited.  The problem with opportunity is that it can’t do a thing for you unless you make it.

I started the speech by saying: Life is about being the best you can possibly be. Now, I want to ask some of you what you want to be the best in. Before this speech, I met some students who I asked to speak up during this section. Brain from Boulder, Colorado what do you want to be the best in? (I want to get the best grades)….

 ….Academics. Hmm…..When I think of Virginia Tech, I think of a land of opportunity. A place of higher learning that truly invents the future. If you want it, we have it. If you want the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty, to collaborate with some of the brightest students in the world, and to take risks and expand your boundaries, then Shane, Virginia Tech is the right place for you.

Kelly from Burke, VA – what do you want to the best in? I want to be the best friend I can be and help others. When I think of Virginia Tech, I think of an actively caring community, where people go above the call of duty to help others. We are not an independent community; like I said earlier….rather we are interdependent. You see, we need each other and we show we care about one another. We as Hokies put more into relationships than we receive, and we embrace that concept.

Pantak -  What do you want to be the best in? I want to join the Corps of Cadets and serve our Country and be the best solider I can be. First, let me just say thank you for your commitment to protect our freedoms. Let’s give Pantak a round of applause….thank you for your service and protecting our freedoms. Well, Pantak….as you know...our motto…our foundation is this idea of Ut Prosim, which means that I may serve. It is one of the pillars that hold our University strong. At Virginia Tech, we value servant leadership.


As I mentioned earlier, my experience leading Virginia Tech as SGA President pointed me to: find my passion and follow my passion. My passion is to empower and impact others. I want to show you I care about your huge decision coming up. My e-mail is brandoncarroll@vt.edu. E-mail me anytime - I am here to answer your questions. I want you to make the right decision and live a fulfilling life.

 
So, to all of the potential Hokies, the Virginia Tech community affirms the value of each individual and welcomes you as the person you are.  So, find your passion in life, your courage, and your voice, but most importantly and you may discover yourself.

Below is the full text for my "farewell" speech. The last speech I will ever make as the official Virginia Tech SGA President....


Inauguration Speech

Good Evening. Tonight is a great night. It is a celebration of the past, present, and the future. SGA started in 1965 as the official voice of the undergraduate students at Virginia Tech. Through the years, we have seen activism like in 1971 when Sandy Hawthorne organized a sit-in to protest the Vietnam war and the Kent State shootings….to more recently the establishment of Relay for Life, the Big Event, and the Hokie Effect.

When I look back at this past year, I cannot help but smile. What an opportunity. Where else in my life will I have the opportunity to make a tangible impact in the lives of over 23,000 students? Where else in my life will I be a student leader in the most amazing place in the world? The Hokie Nation builds leaders of high character. Leaders who value integrity, selflessness, and passion.

Stop and reflect for one second. You are all members of the Hokie Nation. To the students here tonight, we are in college. Not just any college, but one of the top Universities in the country. We have it better than 99% of the world.

What a special place.

We are a family bound by a special sense of love that cannot be adequately explained with words. We put more into relationships than we receive and we embrace that concept

What a special place

We have administrators like Leon McClinton sitting in the audience here tonight who truly care about students. I want to tell you a story about Leon when he first arrived here at Virginia. Many of you have heard this story, but for those of you who have not, here it goes: I was an RA in Pritchard and I was putting on a program for the ACC championship game when this new guy decides to come in and sit down. He looked kind of young, but no one wanted to say anything. The freshman in the lounge were a little bit intimidated. He literally sat on the floor with the 50 or so people already there and just decided to hang out with a bunch of freshman on a Saturday afternoon. Finally, someone had the courage to say “who are you?” Was he a complex director? An RA? He responds, “Well, I am the new Director of Res Life.” Everyone was amazed. Wow, the new Director of Residence Life took some time out of his day…to just…hang out with some students. My residents later told me that they were so amazed that Leon stopped by. He was easy to talk to, he was genuine, and we all had a great time. You see he actively cares for students. He genuinely has an interest in our welfare. It’s the little things that matter. Leon, I know you don’t like when I tell that story…but you know what.... those least looking for recognition are usually the most deserving.

What a special place

We have students like this year’s Executive Director of the Year, Brittany Anderson, who go above and beyond the call of duty for the welfare of the University. From organizing the largest Hokie Day ever to being heavily involved with Richmond politics, Brittany has single handily done more for SGA in the past 4 years that I have been in SGA combined. She helped change the fact that the state was going to take student fee money out of our reserve fund. She strengthened our relationship with other VA schools and showed leadership by serving as the chair of the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia Student Advisory Council.

What a special place

Now, let’s move onto the future of SGA. First and foremost, to Bo, Greer, Corbin, and Emily….congratulations. You all are about to embark on an incredible journey. I want to leave tonight with some words of wisdom that I have acquired over the years, a quote, and a challenge.

My words of wisdom start directed at you Bo. I advise you not to become the SGA President. Become the person who desires to impact students. Become the person who strives each and every day to make a tangible difference in the lives of every single undergraduate student here at Virginia Tech. Use SGA President as the vehicle to impact others. There is a big difference.

To the four of you, you report only to the student body at Virginia Tech. You will not always agree with the administration, you do have to work with them, but you do not have to follow their orders. Your job is to be loyal to students…ABOVE the University. Put students first. Period.

Your inputs will greatly exceed your outputs. Understand that understand that you may fail. Failure is an option, fear is not. Go in fearless. Use your failures as motivators.

My quote for you is this: "There are three types of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.

Make things happen. Bend the rules. Rather than ask for permission, beg for forgiveness.

And my challenge for you is this: Be a leader and build a team of leaders. You are probably thinking, well what does that mean? First, leadership is an action. When you are here next year on the podium giving your words of wisdom to the newly elected officers,, judge thyour year by what you accomplish, not what you do. There is a big difference.

You know what makes a leader? A leader is passionate. A leader truly believes in the mission of the organization. A leader always has a team-first attitude. A leader is self-motivated.


Surround yourself with leaders and you will find success.

It has been a pleasure, I wish you much luck in the future, and again congratulations.

I gave a Presentation today to University Council about the biggest issues that students are facing today. 
 
Four Main Issues



1. Official 24/7 study facility in Torgersen Hall on the first floor 


2. Bus with instantaneous GPS 


3. Intergroup dialogue for Area 6 Credit 


4. Restructuring governance & student organization & the fee process 



Issue 1: Official 24/7 Study Facility in Torgersen Hall


This issue is consistently one of the most important issues for students.

What are the problems caused by making opening Torgersen Hall 24/7 for studying?

1. Access Points 


2. Expensive equipment in Torgersen Hall 


3. How do you ensure students only stay on first floor 


What are the solutions to above problems?

1. Access Points 

• Make the only access point the door that is facing the Drillfield 

• Have a security guard posted in the building 


2. Expensive Equipment 

• Security guard can ensure students are contained 

• Cost of security guard (~$27,000), is much less than cost of equipment 


3. Ensuring students stay on first floor 

 Security guard can ensure students are contained 

• Proper signage directing students to authorized areas 


Note: Currently, Torgersen Hall already acts as an unofficial 24/7 study facility. Students prop the door open and there is no security guard patrolling the area. Also, there is 24/7 card access given to some researchers.


Costs to keep Torgersen Hall open 24/7 as a study facility

• Security Guard(s): ~$27,000 

• Wear and tear on furniture 

• Potential additional security equipment (cameras, alarms, etc.) 



Bottom line: An official 24/7 shows the Universityʼs commitment to students, and how important our collective voice is in terms of influencing policy.


Issue 2: Bus with Instantaneous GPS


More students are depending on the bus to get to and from class each year. Blacksburg Transit has struggled to keep up with demand and as such, buses are often late or pass stops because theyʼre full.


The Current Bus Fee: A non-refundable mandatory fee for all students in residence, bothgraduate and undergraduate, for support of the Blacksburg Transit System. This entitles all enrolled students to board Blacksburg Transit System buses by showing their student ID card instead of paying the fare. Costs $48/semester.


Because the majority of their funds come from student fees, we want the Blacksburg Transit to truly make a commitment to the student by bringing pertinent, real-time information to students via studentsʼ cell phones. One option is via Twitter (see attached).


Current situation:

• Blacksburg Transit has an internal GPS system, where their “hub” gets data on location of buses at all times 

• Majority of students live within a 2 mile radius from campus, and a lot of them drive in a Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV) 

• Parking is a very big issue, and there are two ways to solve this: 
• Increase Supply 
• Decrease Demand 

• Virginia Tech made a commitment to Sustainability when they signed the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment (VTCAC) 

Solution to current problems:

• Scope out every possible bus and every possible stop 

• Make a twitter username for every bus 

 For example, Tomʼs Creek has 4+ busses, so there would be twitter.com/ tomscreeka1, twitter.com/tomscreeka2, etc.
• For each stop, take the internal data, build a system where it can update the twitter simultaneously
• Educate students about putting text message alerts on ..... Itʼs free. Itʼs innovative. 


 What are the issues of making this happen?

• Very difficult working with Blacksburg Transit on this 

• Find funds/work with a class to build this system 


Bottom line: By supporting a program that delivers live information on bus locations and system loads, Virginia Tech is demonstrating its commitment to innovative uses of technology to promote alternative and sustainable transportation.


Issue Three: Intergroup Dialogue for Area 6 Credit

An issue on Virginia Techʼs campus is this idea of inclusive excellence. people are discriminated against for things they have no control over (their color, sexual orientation, gender, et cetera)


Ernst & Young recruiter was asked what is the one thing that Virginia Tech needs to do better to prepare our students for the real world. Without even pausing, he said,

“They are not prepared for a global marketplace, and they donʼt have an understanding and appreciation for other cultures.”

What needs to be done to solve this problem?

• Work with the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Dr. Sanders to facilitate intergroup dialogue sessions

•  The by-product is inclusivity


• Itʼs important because the world is changing and transforming into a global marketplace 

• Simply promoting the Principles of Community is not enough. “Educating students” when they donʼt see a perceived value is not effective.
• 
If students could receive Area 6 credit to have conversations across cultures, I feel like Virginia Tech would move toward inclusive excellence. 

• University of Michigan has a great program at http://www.igr.umich.edu 



Issue   Four:   Restructuring   Governance   &   Student Organization and the Fee Process

Students do not have as much voice in the governance process.

Example: SGA represents 23,000+ undergraduate students, and we have a legislative branch that can write legislation on behalf of the students. However, all of the UCSOs can basically skip that process and bring it right to CSA.

The issue is that the student voice is not streamlined and official.

Suggested Solution:

SGA researches every possible way students give feedback to the University. The new governance organizations, UGOs and their legislative branches would have representatives from those committees (for instance the dining student advisory board) and when decisions were being made that affected all students, it would have an official student opinion on it. This way, the student voice is amplified.

Article I wrote for the CT awhile back. Still applicable today


As Hokies, we each fit in many circles that define our college experience.

Some of us are undergraduate researchers, others are involved in a multitude of activities, and still more content themselves with late nights at Deets preparing for the next morning's exam.

Yet, despite these varied interests, there is one aspect of our shared experience where we all come together: Hokie sports.

While we can all agree that football season leaves us with hoarse throats from yelling cheers and memories that will mark our college years, undoubtedly the rising success of our Hokie basketball program has made Cassell Coliseum a force to be reckoned with, as well.

In my role as SGA President, I have had the pleasure of speaking with many students about the athletic legacy we want to leave. From these conversations, one student in particular, Connor Forman, had a phenomenal insight.

 "Brandon," Forman said. "We have the best fans in the nation for football. We could easily have the best atmosphere in the nation for basketball, too. There is just something missing."

Forman's observation left me wondering what that elusive "it" factor is. However, after spending hours contemplating a solution, I found myself no closer to an epiphany. Then it hit me - this is not a task for just one Hokie sports fan. If our student government is truly all about the students, why not ask all of you?

So I pose this question to you: What can we, as students, as the SGA, as athletes, and ultimately, as Hokies, do to create the best possible basketball environment here at Virginia Tech? We could make cheer cards to switch our chants when moving from offense to defense, or create an official student section called the Cassell Guard to support Hokies on Fire spirit initiatives or maybe we need to re-evaluate our student seating arrangement. But I know you have ideas too!

In an ACC comparison, Virginia Tech and Miami are the sole schools that have their student section behind one backboard.  Quite possibly, all we need in Cassell is a seating adjustment, but this is not the only suggestion we can consider.

We can create the environment we envision if we use the creativity of the collective. It's us, the fans, who are the irreplaceable sixth man that the team needs and it's up to us to figure out what will make us the greatest asset possible.

This is our challenge. Let's make Cassell the loudest arena in the nation. Come by the SGA office (321 Squires), e-mail us at sga@vt.edu or call us at 540-2008-SGA and tell us what you would like to see changed at basketball games this year. Simply put, this is our fourth quarter countdown and we can win - all we have to do is beat the buzzer.

Brandon Carroll is the Student Government Association President at Virginia Tech.

This will appear in Delta Sig's National Magazine:


Thursday, November 12, 2009

7:00a.m.                                          

It’s Thursday, November 12, 2009, and after getting up, taking a shower, eating a breakfast of champions, and brushing my teeth, I begin to prep myself for the big presentation scheduled for 8:30am.  I am presenting SGA’s strategic plan to the entire academic council, which is made up of the President of the University, his Vice Presidents, and all of the Academic Deans.

7:50a.m.

I pick up Shane McCarty, SGA’s Vice President, so that we can run through the plan one more time.

8:00a.m.

I arrive at the Latham Ballroom in the Inn at Virginia Tech, and Shane and I begin to prep. We find ways to create synergy and play off each other’s strengths. During the presentation, there are technological errors, so our powerpoint isn’t visible for the audience to see. Fortunately, we have practiced so many times that we don’t give it another thought. We give the hard copy of the strategic plan to everyone in attendance and answer questions from the audience.

Because SGA represents the official voice of the students at Virginia Tech, some administrators wanted to gauge my opinion about a variety of issues. A major source of concern for professors and students is the evaluation process.

I explain the importance of evaluations occurring mid-semester as to provide professors with feedback to adjust their class and lessen the grade dependent responses as they relate to the actual performance of the teacher.

9:30a.m.

I have my Business writing class, where we talk about writing a business plan and how to structure a formal report.  My report discusses my ideal non-profit called Actively Caring for People. I do have a tough time balancing my life, because I put my heart and soul into SGA and both administrators and myself forget that I am a student first.


11:00a.m.

I have a conference call after class with Tatango, a group text messaging company, where I sit as a member of their user advisory board. Derek Johnson, their CEO, was just named a top 30 CEO under 30 by Business Week. I try to guide him in terms of the overall user-experience, which is essential because his biggest market is college students.

11:45a.m.

My mom is calling me about my plans for Thanksgiving. Every year, I usually go to see my grandmother (on my dad’s side), but this year she is sick. We talk briefly about school and other things, but I have a meeting at 12:30p.m. with the Provost, and I like to be very prepared for each meeting.

12:30p.m.

I have a meeting with Provost McNamee to talk about ways to actively engage students inside a classroom. The size of a classroom is expanding, and our quality of education is diminishing. I suggest that we look into near-peer learning environments like Berkeley and Emory. We have all heard the quote, “People remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they hear and see, 70% of what they say or write, 90% of what they do.” In my opinion, teaching is the greatest opportunity to learn and remember, so I suggest implementing a program where students teach other students. I do feel like it is important for the upper-administration to hear tangible ways to empower students. We need to do more to let students be creative and innovative.

1:30p.m.

I grab lunch at the Au Bon Pan kiosk, which is a “grab and go” kind of place in our Squires Student Center, where the SGA office is located.  I go to the office to relax for a bit, but people need to book reservations and have general questions, among other things. After taking care of some mundane tasks, I call a pledge to see if he can do an interview today. He says he can, and he joins me on a couch in Squires. Austin Gage is a sophomore from Alexandria, VA, and we had a really good conversation about why he was interested in Delta Sig, why he chose Virginia Tech, what he can add to our brotherhood, and many other interesting topics. I really like this pledge class a lot – they all add something to our brotherhood.

2:45p.m.

I go back to the SGA office to try to tackle some e-mails. I usually average around 80-90 a day that I need to either read or respond to. I will always respond to e-mails within 48 hours, but I usually have to block off around 3-4 hours.  One e-mail sticks out to me. I just find out that a brother, who works with Nationals, Bob Veazie, and my mentor Dr. Geller are dedicating their latest book, “When No One’s Watching,” to the SGA at Virginia Tech and they even included me as a character in the book.

3:45p.m.

I am about to head over to my final meeting with an administrator. After this meeting, I can finally take off my suit.

4:00p.m.

My last meeting for the day with administrators is with another mentor Dr. Anne Moore. I meet with her weekly to discuss how to break down the separate silo and improve collaboration. Dr. Moore used to work with the State Council for Higher Education, has been a public sector lobbyist, and now she serves as the VP of Information Technology and acts as the head of Learning Technologies. She knows how to make change within a University, and she has a very different way of thinking. I usually tell her all of the issues, and she helps me evaluate my priorities. The meeting is extremely productive, as we talk about how to make Torgersen a 24/7 study facility. As I am leaving, she hands me a book called the Innovator’s Dilemma, which talks about why mature companies (like a college institution) fail. The analogy I will use is that it’s like we are a train on a track and if we keep just doing barely enough to keep the train afloat, we will eventually run ourselves to the ground. Although it is not foreseeable in the near future, we have to look at reinventing our processes, building a “new train,” while we a mature company, not when it is too late.

5:30p.m.

I make my to-do list for the night. This includes sending follow-up e-mails, doing some homework, preparing for meetings tomorrow, and organizing my binders for the final stretch in the semester.

6:00p.m.

I go to dinner with the Vice President, Shane McCarty, the Chief of Staff, Bo Hart, and the Director of Transportation, Brianna Farr. We’ve been working on getting real-time tracking on the Blacksburg Transit all semester, and it has been an uphill battle. We are trying to make sure we are all on the same page, discuss some issues we have been having with their IT department, and the best way to approach this moving forward.

7:30p.m.

I finally make it home and begin on my homework (or try to). I first go on facebook, listen to some classical music (Ludovico Einaudi), and relax. My roommate cleaned the house, which was a nice surprise to come home to. 

I try to get all of my homework done on Thursday and Friday, so I can have the weekend free. My hardest class is called Financial Planning for Professionals, where my professor assigns around 3-4 hours of homework per class. Thankfully, we only have class on Mondays and Wednesdays, but I do have to be very disciplined in order to maintain that balance between school, SGA, and a social life.

9:00p.m.

My goal is to clear my inbox by 10:00pm. My pet peeve is having any e-mails in my inbox when I go to bed. I have an e-mail from Dr. Wubah, who is the VP and Dean for Undergraduate Education, and he wants me to appoint two people (a sophomore and a senior) to sit on a strategic planning committee for undergraduate education. Talk about an opportunity. The University can do a lot in terms of academic advising, near-pear learning, and I am privileged in this opportunity to choose two students to help the University with the future of undergraduate education.

10:30p.m.

It is around 10:30, and I am just finishing up with e-mail and trying to prepare for tomorrow. E-mailing really tires me out. A lot of times, they require long thought-out responses. I head over to the living room and watch a little bit of the 49ers Vs. Bears game, but it is boring.  I am still contemplating if I am going to go to the VT-UMD game this weekend. I am from Maryland, and I would be able to see my mom, but I still have to remind myself that I am a broke college student.

11:30p.m.

It is my brother’s birthday tomorrow, so I call to wish him a “happy birthday” and then head to bed.

Reflection: It’s been an eventful day, and I am feeling beyond privileged and humbled to be the SGA President at the best University in the world. As SGA President, I have learned the importance of surrounding yourself with people passionate about the mission; experience is not necessary (although it helps).  Higher Education should be about raising the bar for students and meeting their needs. However, this isn’t always the case. Next semester, I plan on tackling the major issues at this University and making carefully crafted recommendations to the University that will ultimately shift the focus to the students.

Below is SGA's strategic plan:


Strategic Plan


Let me know what you think!

I have been working a lot with Don Williams, who is the head of the VT Bookstore about a new possible SGA Fundraiser. Here is it broken down:

• 9100 Students live on campus
• You would pay $5 extra at the bookstore to have your books delivered directly to your room
• SGA would work in cohesion with Res Life and the bookstore to make this work. RAs would have to deliver books during their training workshops, and the bookstore would build the backend system.

Here is the breakdown of the finances: Book Delivery Forecast


What do you think?

It has been one heckuva week. First, I went to Richmond for a 1 1/2 hour SCHEV (State Council for Higher Education in Virginia) meeting and then right back to VT. We talked about current issues that college students face and I was the VT representative. I talked about the budget situation and how I believe that legislatures are not making Higher Ed a priority like they used to. Quick Stat: In 1999, 55% of VT's budget came from the state. Today, only 12% comes from the state. The rest is up to tuition, research, and private contributions. 


It was amazing because every school in Virginia that receives state funding (community colleges, 2 year institutions, and 4 year institutions) were all represented. I thought the meeting was very valuable and it will give me the opportunity to voice VT's concerns directly to the state.


Then, that evening I ate dinner with 8 students at Dr. Frank Shushok's House - he is the Associate VP of Student Affairs. Together, we make up the President's Council, which I am so passionate about. I feel as if we get students from various backgrounds, genders, and ages that we can be a subset of the overall population. Frank oversees Housing/Dining, Res Life, Fraternity/Sorority, Student Conduct, and Career Services. It is important to be able to talk with him in an informal manner about issues on campus. It was a great evening and he truly cares about the student voice...which is refreshing.


Today (October 9th), I met Gus Deeds, who is Creigh Deeds son. It gave me an opportunity to talk politics with someone who will be influential in Virginia, whether his father wins or not. I explained to him that higher education returns 3 to 1 on its investment. Smarter Virginians = Better Jobs = More Money = More Tax Revenue. It is important that the state of VA ensure that higher education is not forgotten once the economy begins to recover. It was a very successful week to say the least.


Here are some upcoming SGA Events:

This week has been something special. Everything is really coming into fruition. Upcoming Events Include:

1. Extreme Campus Makeover, October 19-21

• Prizes include: Maroon 5 tickets, Ipods, EA Sports Games, Free T-shirts, and a catered lunch with University officials.