After weeks of campaigning, three rounds of voting and days of anticipation, Washington and Lee’s SJC and EC representatives for the Class of 2019 have been decided. On Sept. 30, Andrew Agrippina was named representative to the SJC, while a day later, Heeth Varnedoe was selected to be the newest member of the EC. The Ring-tum Phi had a chance to sit down with each of the elected officers and find out their plans for the coming year.

Andrew Agrippina, from Sandy Springs, Georgia, is currently a member of W&L’s track team, the weatherman of the Rockbridge Report and a member of the acapella group Southern Comfort. He attended Holy Spirit Prep and had a graduating class of around 45 students. Agrippina also participated in his high school’s student government and was president of two service clubs.

What do you hope to accomplish while representing ’19 this year?

“[The SJC is] currently rewriting a whole new drinking and driving policy—a whole new way to approach it, a different way to communicate our policy to the students. They’re right in the midst of that, so I am looking forward to helping them draft that and help them really communicate that to the student body—how serious we are taking this and really taking a stand to end it for once and for all. Now I’m going to have a more active role in drafting that policy, now that I am a part of that team. So I look forward to adding my opinion and experience to that and just really helping to communicate to everybody so everyone understands how seriously we take it.”

What was the platform of your campaign?

“So, I guess if I were to chose a single word, it would be the word “protection.” I talked about in my speech how I have a very protective nature. The SJC kind of appealed to me because I saw it as a group dedicated to protecting the student body. We have such an amazing culture here, and when bad things start to infiltrate and threaten that culture, I want to be able to try to stand up and keep the school the amazing place that it is.”

How do you hope to improve Washington and Lee? Why?

“I would say the thing that I would probably focus on most is safety for the students. The main duties of the SJC, what’s going to take up most of my time while I’m there, is you get reports from public safety about things that happened. They write up a report and we are supposed to handle it and talk to that student. We are supposed to correct the bad behavior and I want to help build up the culture of safety. With each of those reports, and each of those students  who come to us, I really want to help correct the bad behavior and I guess get everyone on the same page and create the safest campus we can.”

What are you most looking forward to while serving on the SJC?

“I am most looking forward to just being able to work so closely with the other members. They are all just fantastic people and I feel like I could learn so much from them and I am looking forward to just working very closely with them and learning from them.”

Heeth Varnedoe, from the small town of Thomasville, Georgia has immersed himself in so much of what W&L has to offer. A member of the university’s rugby club team, as well as a member of the LEAD Program, Varnedoe has flourished during his first few weeks at the university. A graduate of Brookwood School, Varnedoe has been involved in student government since the 6th grade.

What do you hope to accomplish while representing ’19 this year?

“My goal is to really establish relationships with the freshmen class, with my fellow first-years and to just be available to them, to represent them, to be aware of their needs, what they’re struggling with – stuff that can be brought to the administration. Then also when it comes to the Honor [Code], approach that in a solemn manner. Really just being available to the freshmen class and being responsive to the issues that the first years bring to my attention, so that I can represent them best to the EC and the administration and the greater Washington and Lee community.”

What was the platform of your campaign?

“My platform was availability, relationships, and then honor and integrity. Just being an available, visible presence on this campus so that any first year, regardless of if they knew me prior, would feel comfortable to approach me, to tell me about their ideas, or an issue that they need attention, so that was the big thing. Also, just becoming close with my fellow first-years, so I could experience their struggles first hand.  I feel like the better you know your class, the better you can represent them. Also, honor, and integrity, and being someone of virtue, and taking to heart the values of Washington and lee and our honor system.”

How do you hope to improve W&L? Why?

“I know that class registration process is terrifying, and stressful and I definitely think that a discussion about how to make that easier, especially for freshmen, is something that we can work on. That is clearly an issue that the freshmen want addressed, and so something that we need to get to work on.”

What are you most looking forward to while serving on the EC?

“Right now it’s still kind of surreal that I made it. I just really see it as a great way to really immerse myself into Washington and Lee and become involved in this community, and make connections with the first-year class and the rest of the school as well. That’s really exciting to me, I feel like it’s going to be an awesome opportunity to really dive in and become a part of this community.”