Junior becomes new Board of Trustees representative

Every two years a new voice speaks up and represents the undergraduate class. This time that person is junior Josie Kochendorfer. The psychology and creative writing major is now the new voice of the undergraduate class. She has received the title of Undergraduate Representative of Board of Trustees for the next two years.

“I enjoy being an advocate, and want to represent the student body in an elegant way,” Kochendorfer said.

While working as a Resident Assistant, Kochendorfer listened to students express their concerns about different issues on campus and worked hard to advocate for them. Now, the representative position allows her to take her advocacy efforts further by taking concerns and bringing them directly to the administration.

Acting as a voice-unifier between students and the administration, Kochendorfer already has big plans for the year. She has focused on issues that have not received enough attention in the past.

One of the main issues that Kochendorfer is focusing on is sexual violence and assault.

A Pacific University student shared her personal story of sexual assault in April. The student was spending time with a man she had met through Tinder, an online dating app. Despite her telling him that she was not interested in having casual sex, she was sexually assaulted in her dorm.

Kochendorfer has planned to promote the prevention and awareness of sexual violence and assault on campus by working with students and Campus Wellness coordinator Kathleen Converse.

“There needs to be more funding towards preventing sexual assault.” Converse said.

The new undergraduate representative has more plans for the upcoming year.

Students have expressed to Kochendorfer that money is not being allocated to where it needs to be. She said more money needs to be put into the arts, such as theatre, art studios and writing. Doing so would benefit the programs and also attract more students to Pacific whose interest is not sports-based.

She has planned to work with several professors in the humanities and philosophy departments as well as students, promoting more funding for the arts programs.