'Conversation with the President' with President Steven C. Wheelwright, which took place Thursday, August 20, 2009, from 11:00 a.m. to noon at the Aloha Center Mall, was a student-driven open forum—an informal setting. According to the event's Facebook page, 'Conversation with the President' allowed "students to have the chance to identify concerns here on campus and also to identify possible solutions with President Wheelwright."
James Sinkovic, BYUHSA vice president over the Student Advisory Council, which is in charge of coordinating the event, said that this is unlike the President’s Council Question & Answer sessions held monthly because this focuses on "getting more interaction between President Wheelwright and students." This interaction, according to Sinkovic, happened as students together with President Wheelwright and identified the problems and the plausible solutions for those problems.
"This allowed for small issues that are usually pushed aside by more pressing issues, to be handled," said Sinkovic.
The issues that were discussed included the new class schedule, campus security, and the fairly new issue of a hangout spot for students after curfew hours.
This was a great opportunity, stated Sinkovic, for students because it empowered them to act on matters that meant the most to them. Students were invited to submit their concerns to the BYUHSA Facebook page pre-meeting so that their concerns could be addressed.
--Photo by Mike Foley