RELATED STORY: UK student body president has little influence on campus

Who wouldn’t want to be Student Government president?

Then benefits of getting to wear a fancy suit without looking like one of those poor guys rushing a fraternity, sit in a comfortable, well-decorated office (thanks to the Nick Phelps’ administration remodeling job) and ride around in a golf cart (no one likes walking the distance to class), alone, make the job worth it.

Sure there’s the risk of being held accountable for your campaign promises (there is a Subway on campus now, by the way), but if your skin is thick enough to handle the Kernel Editorial Board, the rest of the job is a breeze, right?

I’d take the help paying my tuition, the hefty salary which is slightly more than I’m getting paid to write this column, the great references for my resumé, a cameo on pro-UK television commercials and a seat with a great view at the Board of Trustees table.

I only get caught up on the hand shaking part.

My grandmother once told me it was poor etiquette for a man to offer his hand to a woman in a shaking gesture. It is only polite to shake a woman’s hand if it is first offered to you, she told me. Not being a great fan of shaking hands — what with dealing with floppy grippers, germs and sweaty palms — I always found this little piece of etiquette to work in my favor. Until I considered running for SG president.

Isn’t that what campaigning is all about — getting out there, meeting people and shaking hands? Isn’t that what being SG president is all about — a posh office and stylin’ (golf cart) wheels?

The problem is, these are the advantages most people see in running for the office. The problem is, seeking the position for the fancy office or the social boost on campus puts someone in office who has no hope of making any real change on campus.

The reality is there are problems on UK’s campus and dissatisfied students. There are problems with campus safety, the cost of tuition, cuts in funding and problems with parking, just to name a few. Unfortunately, the other half of the reality is there are a lot of people who run for SG president for the job title alone, and a similar group who treat the entire process as a popularity contest.

If it’s a popularity contest, let’s vote Jodie Meeks as SG prez. Heck, he might dub Patrick Patterson as his running mate and then we’d have the coolest SG administration — not to mention possibly the hugest landslide victory into office — in school history.

But if it’s really taken seriously, as a position that can represent students, even if for a short time in office, we just might have a chance at making real change on campus (bigger than bringing fast food to the Student Center). People might even start taking the SG president seriously (you missed your chance, Kenny Colston).

‘Tis the season of the campaign posters and suit-clad candidates, so get your handshakers out. It’s a cushy job with benefits to spare — some might even include leaving a legacy of students who got what they wanted out of their university experience.