Jennifer Ingraham, a native of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and current Helmsman for the House of Queen Elizabeth I, is launching her campaign for Student Body President of the King’s College. She is a sophomore studying Media, Culture, and the Arts and is also currently serving as the president of the King’s photography club—The Click.

She wants to focus her candidacy upon the foundations of fostering genuine community and culture through more open and accessible conversation.

“I see a need for better communication” she said speaking of the school as a whole. “We have so many guest lecturers, events, and opportunities happening here but a lot of times people don’t always know what’s going on.”

She views the position of SBP as a means by which she can help bring change and unity to the student body to make King’s a place that all students can feel welcomed and comfortable.

As a Helmsman and President of a campus organization, she said that she understands the need for better representation of a student body whose interests are rapidly diversifying.

“Every year the student body looks different and you’ll need to tailor your approach to that group specifically.”

Ingraham attributes this mindset to her role as Helmsman where she was grateful for the capacity to get to know the people in her house as individuals and have the ability to shape the house experiences to their particular needs.

She notes that no longer are the majority of King’s students in the school’s longtime flagship major of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, but that the events, guest speakers, and culture of the school don’t necessarily reflect this. A Student Body President needs to be able to see the need, and act accordingly.

Ingraham says she’s prepared to do just this.

As part of her platform to improve the communication within King’s, she plans to create a consistent source of information that the president and the cabinet can utilize to inform the student body about projects that are in the works and changes that are being implemented. This, she said, will likely take the form of a short video released via email or Instagram to promote unity and a general sense amongst the community that their thoughts and needs are valued and are being acted upon.

She also plans to make it more widely known that public attendance of cabinet meetings is allowed and even encouraged.

“The student leadership should represent the interests of the students” Ingraham said, “and student awareness is key in that dynamic.” Based upon the changing demographics of King’s and her belief that better student government communication would help to unify the student body, Ingraham believes that she is the most suited to the role.

However she wants to make clear that she believes the students of King’s should seek to support the candidate who best speaks for them.

“Pick the person who best represents you” she said, “[King’s is] not just about house, orgs, or spiritual life. It’s about looking at the school as a whole. Joy, optimism, and fun are super important. I want to encourage laughter and learning together as humans rather than always feeling like there is this really intense academic involvement atmosphere.”

Ingraham still needs to be approved by Dean David Leedy. Announcements will be made on Friday, February 8.

Photography Club President and QE1 Helmsman Announces SBP Run