You may have seen junior Beau Flores throwing shot or discus for the Colorado Mesa University track and field team. Or, you might have seen him coordinating events for the Ho’olokahi Polynesian student alliance, like the annual spring luau. However, Flores has another important position with the associated student government.
As student trustee, Flores relays information between ASG and the board of trustees, a group of eleven voting members, appointed by the Colorado state governor and confirmed by the state senate, and two non-voting members, a student and a faculty member. Active since a 2003 bill required such governing boards for universities, the board of trustees makes many of the decisions regarding campus, such as which programs to add and fund, and if and when new buildings should be added.
Flores ran for and was elected to his current position of student trustee last spring. Flores said he knew that he wanted a position on ASG, and student trustee was one with which he was familiar, since he had worked closely with President Foster in the past. When he approached Foster with his idea, the university president encouraged him to run.
Flores has some new goals in mind for the position, and for ASG.
“I wanted to bring athletics to ASG, to bring other students who know nothing to ASG, because they [student government] have a big impact,” said Flores.
Though the main part of Flores’s job is to make sure both ASG and the board of trustees are informed on what the other group is doing, Flores wants to make sure that students know he is also a representative for their interests and concerns.
“I even told President Linzey that I’m gonna stretch it a bit, because being a leader on campus, I think I owe it to the campus to do a little more to the campus than… [be a] messenger, so I’m going out and helping other students,” said Flores.
Since Flores is involved with both athletics and clubs on campus in addition to ASG, he’s a visible figure at CMU. He hopes students will know who he is, so that he can help them, and that together with the other members of ASG, they can make sure students know what student government is, and how they can help their constituents.
“The year is still young,” said Flores. “I was blessed to be elected into this position, and I’m going to use that as a leader to help in whatever way.”
