Phillip Habegger has been chosen by the student body to serve as the 2014-2015 Student Association president. A junior missions major from Memphis, Tenn., Habegger has made it his mission to continue what past SA presidents have started while listening for new ways to serve the student body.
Habegger is an active member of TNT and a beau for Delta Gamma Rho. He participated in the HIZ program in the fall of 2012 and is a member of SA Chapel Committee, Alpha Chi and Omicron Kappa Delta. Habegger also volunteers at the Great Physicians Clinic through College Church of Christ, and is involved in the Downtown Church of Christ youth group.
Habegger said he never foresaw running for the president position, let alone actually winning it, but he knew he wanted to be involved with the SA in some capacity after being a part of the SA chapel committee.
“After seeing and assessing the needs of campus, I knew I wanted to be involved,” Habegger said. “Running for president was the place I thought I could make the most impact and do the most good.”
Increased communication and unity with the administration and creating a stronger bond between students across campus are two goals Habegger said he would like to incorporate next year. He said he wants everyone who leaves Harding to have had the best experience possible, but be to be a light in the world.
“That is the most important thing to me,” Habegger said. “Helping prepare my fellow students to be Christians in the world.”
Habegger said his most important goal as SA president will be to equip students with the ability to live in the world but not be of it.
Current SA president Tyler Gentry said he is excited to see how the SA grows next year. According to Gentry, the SA has made some big changes through several amendments to the constitution and organizational restructuring.
“We want to redefine who we are and what we do,” Gentry said. “We want to represent students more effectively.”
Gentry made his last goal for the remainder of the school year to set up next year’s SA to be the best it can be. By imitating the school year theme, Transition, Gentry said the current SA have made the organization more efficient so it can better serve students.
“There is huge power and worth in shared ideas,” Gentry said. “That’s what we want to do, pass down our ideas so that the next group can be better than us.”
Habegger officially takes office at this semester’s graduation ceremonies.
