Meet the candidate: Judy LaRose campaigning for president and vice president positions to ‘bridge the gap’ between RIC students and admin

Olivia Barone

Editor in Chief

RIC sophomore Judy LaRose is an Environmental Studies and Anthropology major campaigning for both the president and vice president positions of campus’s Student Community Government (SCG). In The Anchor’s third interview with SCG Executive Board candidates, LaRose shared her aspirations for next year’s term. 

Image by Judy LaRose

LaRose highlighted the prevalence of activism in her life both on and off campus. At RIC, she is not only the current deputy speaker at SCG but also president of the Environmental Club. Off campus, she acts as a foster care and environmental advocate committed to making change in Rhode Island. 

LaRose’s passion for advocacy has carried over into her interest in running for next year’s term. “I joined SCG because I consider myself a student leader on campus… I thoroughly enjoy representing the student body and being an advocate… I talk to my constituents, people in my scholarship program, fellow students… Whenever someone has a concern, I like to try to integrate it into what I’m doing [at SCG].” 

In either the presidential or vice presidential role, LaRose hopes to use her relationship with RIC’s upper administration to assist students meet their needs and accomplish their goals. “I would really like to work toward bridging the gap between administration and students that are not in SCG.” 

To LaRose, this means solving the “RIC run-a-round”: a pervasive issue at RIC wherein issues and requests are deferred to one department or office after another, creating a frustrating game of telephone. LaRose explained that the solution to this problem is promoting a more accessible and approachable administration. 

Image by Judy LaRose

“[I would like to] make it easier and not as scary for students to submit requests for something being broken, to talk to administration, to talk to people like President Jack Warner and not feeling like [admin] so far above them that they feel their issues are small.”

LaRose has already begun chipping away at this issue of inaccessibility as SCG’s deputy speaker. It is the job of deputy speaker to run several town halls throughout the semester to connect students with administration. However, LaRose is adjusting the next two town halls to be meet-and-greet style as opposed to a panel format. As LaRose explained, this new style allows for students and administrators to communicate on the same level without stress. The town halls will take place on March 25 in Brown Hall at 7 p.m. and April 8 in Gaige 100 at 12 p.m. 

In addition, LaRose would like to work to support students after graduation. She explained the importance of connecting RIC departments with outside organizations in Rhode Island willing to bring resources to campus to “inform students about internships, inform them about future careers, to give them hope in their majors.” LaRose confessed that her heart lies with Arts and Sciences majors who may feel that their opportunities post-grad are dwindling, but reinstated that her efforts during her term will be to represent all types of students. 

Image by Judy LaRose

LaRose also highlighted her interest in campus safety as concerns among students rise after the shooting at Brown University this winter. If elected president or vice president, LaRose hopes to maintain communication with both the Providence and RIC police departments to ensure that student voices on the matter are being heard. 

“I think students want to be heard. I think students want to feel like they have a say in what happens at our college… Sometimes with student involvement, there’s a bit of an echo chamber of all of us who are involved in so many things,” LaRose explained and called attention to the importance of opening doors for students who might not feel comfortable. 

“I want people to feel like they can come up to me and say, ‘Judy, this is really bothering me. Can you help me with this?’ I’m listening because I really care. I love student involvement. I love Rhode Island College and I want to make an impact that lasts beyond my time here.” 

Remember that voting for SCG executive board elections will be open April 8-15. To receive updates, follow SCG on Instagram @scgric. 

Those interested in reading about the other candidates running for student office, see interviews conducted by The Anchor with both Malcolm Mann and Marcus Rocha in which they share their aspirations for the 26-27 term.