SGA president aims for consensus, forward thinking
Asked about how he operates as president of Erskine’s Student Government Association, senior Daniel Prohaska says, “I like to think of my leadership style as one of empowerment.”
He is interested in empowering the SGA leadership at Erskine as well as the student body as a whole and asserts, “My priorities are the students’ priorities.”
Prohaska hopes to “change the way people look at SGA in the future so that they can see it as a vessel for … change.”
A political science major from Moncks Corner, Prohaska is working on a number of projects this year with the SGA Cabinet.
Welcoming freshmen into the community is one priority for SGA, he said.
“We have accomplished this through the start of a new Erskine tradition—the ‘Erskine Embrace’—a candle-lighting ceremony hosted by students at the beginning of the year.”
SGA continues seeking to influence policies in order to serve students’ interests and needs and “fostering better communication between student organizations, school administrators, and the student body.”
He said SGA is making an effort to be “more transparent” in its operations and to work more closely with the Erskine administration and student leaders.
“Our SGA officers come from very diverse backgrounds. We have an extremely dedicated and hard-working group of student leaders across Erskine’s campus this year.”
SGA senators work on committees established by SGA. Their areas of focus include reviewing the Pilot, Erskine’s handbook; social programs; campus improvement; and student outreach.
“Each senator also represents a class, residence hall, or student organization in which they are a leader, which makes our time together more beneficial when spreading information to our different student constituencies,” Prohaska said.
“I want to create a passion in others to make change happen,” he added. “Things get done when a group comes together in a consensus [about] what is best for its future. Through my leadership I hope to inspire that type of forward thinking.”
The SGA president is excited about Acting President Dr. Brad Christie’s “Flourishing Forward” agenda, which he describes as “preserving the unique Christian atmosphere and academic rigor at Erskine, while moving our institution forward in a way that promotes continued spiritual growth, academic success, and national recognition.”
Christie’s vision for Erskine “moves us in an important direction as our faculty nears the rollout of a new core curriculum and as our institution approaches its historic 175th anniversary,” Prohaska said.
The acting president’s agenda makes a “direct impact on student government because our purpose is to promote and better the lives of those who are receiving that direction in their life from Erskine,” Prohaska said.
Student government “serves as one of the many vessels through which students can begin to live out their purpose in a meaningful way that brings our community together.”
Another way of bringing the community together is through SGA-sponsored events like this year’s Homecoming Week, set for Oct. 23-26.
“We will have events each night all leading up to Fleet-o-Rama Friday night on Robinson Field and our Homecoming Parade and festivities on Saturday,” he said.
“We are excited to have this event bigger and better than ever before through the combined work of SGA, the Erskine Entertainment Board, Student Services, and the Alumni Office to coordinate our Homecoming, Fall Festival, and Family Day, all on Saturday, Oct. 26.”
Also in the works are plans for 2014, with a Super Bowl Party and the SGA Spring Ball leading the list of events.
In addition to his work as SGA president, Daniel Prohaska serves as a student life assistant in Robinson Hall, chair of Erskine’s South Carolina Student Legislature Delegation, and a member of the Due West Chapter of Lions Club International.
