Remington Kendall has seen it all.
From cattle farms in his home state of Idaho, to Duke's Gothic campus in Durham, to studying abroad in New Zealand, the junior hopes to draw from a wide array of experiences if elected Duke Student Government president.
Kendall said he would work to enhance the on-campus social scene, ensure a more accountable, representative and responsive DSG Senate, improve the freshmen experience and increase campus accessibility as DSG's top dog.
"In my opinion, the job of a president is being the liaison between students, DSG, the administration, the community and campus," he said.
Kendall's DSG experience began his freshman year when he served on the DSG Senate. Last year, he was elected sophomore class president, and this year he was once again elected to be a Senate member.
Kendall said his primary concern lies in improving the campus social scene. He cited the purchase of off-East Campus houses and the possibility of tailgate ending next year as examples of constraints being placed on students' lives.
"A lot of people are very frustrated. We keep losing activities around campus, but nothing is being added," he said. "When one thing gets taken away, two should be added."
Kendall wants to propose the installment of a campus bar. He also plans to monitor closely the development of the new Central Campus to ensure facilities are being built to stimulate academic, residential and social life.
Kendall also wants to improve the communication between the student body and the DSG legislative body. He proposed assigning each senator approximately 200 students. If students have suggestions, questions or comments, they could be referred to their respective senators.
Although communication is a key part of his platform, Kendall said his understanding of communication does not involve excessive talking.
"I only speak when I feel it is needed, otherwise you lose your voice," he said. "I think it through first, and, when I speak, people listen to me."
To ensure better communication, Kendall proposed holding regular meetings with senators.
"DSG did a lot better job with communicating with students this year," he said.
He added, however, that there is still room for improvement.
DSG President Jesse Longoria, a senior, said he believes Kendall's strengths come from his ability to communicate well with many groups in the community.
"Remington has exhibited the ability to work with a lot of different types of people, producing results that everybody feels that they had input in," Longoria said.
Kendall said he will use this strength to improve communication between DSG and the administration.
"The president needs to stand up to the administration more," Kendall said. "Anytime the administration doesn't communicate with students, it's ridiculous."
Another problem he wants to see fixed is the lack of follow-through on projects proposed by DSG senators. As a solution, Kendall proposed requiring senators to write bi-monthly reflections on issues on which they are working.
"Senators seem to feel they can get away with not finishing their projects," Kendall said. "I will take on a more active role next year and meet with each senator."
Longoria noted that Kendall has the necessary skills to handle the job of DSG president. "He's someone that has the experience, the knowledge and the passion to do very well in the position," Longoria said.
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