Lights, camera . suit? As students walk through the campus center and throughout campus, rarely do you some come into contact with peers who are fully decked out in professional, suit-like attire.
John Lopez, Student Government Association president, can be seen sporting a suit and tie on a daily basis as he walks throughout campus making himself available to students and faculty alike.
According to Lopez, professional dress is the first step in being taken more seriously by administrators and community members.
“I want KCCD and BC administrators to take me seriously. When I attend a meeting to represent BC students, I go in with a professional attitude – the suit provides an opportunity for me to be taken more seriously,” said Lopez.
Support for Lopez among fellow SGA leaders and faculty and the professional attitude he projects extends far beyond the classroom or the breezeway.
“I think it’s fantastic – it [the suit] gives the message that he’s a well-qualified leader and that he is aware of what he wears,” said Leah Crane, BC vice president.
Lopez emphasizes that he is available to students to discuss any issue they feel needs to be addressed.
According to Lopez, many students are intimidated and feel that he is not approachable because of his professional attire.
Students believe that he comes off more like an administrator then a typical college student.
“I never want students to think of me as above them because of the suit. I can voice an issue and listen to the concerns of the student body. I want others to take me serious because I take myself serious,” said Lopez.
BC students can find Lopez walking around campus mingling with peers and administrators alike, as he learns how to prioritize and juggle his SGA responsibilities with his job as a student, while taking time to enjoy the social adventures of college life.
“Any student can and should approach me if they feel something needs to be addressed. I am here to represent the students at a district, state and national level. I want my position to be about the students, not us [SGA],” said Lopez.
In an attempt to reach out to students and project a message of inclusively and availability, Lopez is available during office hours, Monday through Thursday.
To schedule an appointment, to meet with Lopez to discuss BC-related issues, catch him around campus or visit the SGA office in Campus Center 4. “Like I always say, I am here to listen to the concerns of those who elected me to represent them, the students. My doors are always open,” said Lopez.
Reggie Williams, BC philosophy professor, who was found eating lunch with SGA chief-of-staff Alan Crane and other students in the Campus Center, echoes the comments of others regarding the professional image Lopez portrays to the student body and administration.
“As long as he has the substance to back up the suit, I think it’s a great image to project. So far, it seems like he has what it takes to make the suit mean something,” Williams said.