Student Senate President Sarah Schuh spent her Veterans’ Day weekend on the West Coast attending a conference that offered guidance she thinks will improve UW-Eau Claire.

“I think the best thing I got out of it was the networking associated with the Oregon student leaders,” Schuh said of the Northwest Student Leadership Conference at Oregon State University.

Schuh attended the conference as United Council’s vice president, joining 12 other Wisconsin students in the three-day, 600-student conference.

Having representatives from Wisconsin’s United Council gave them a good opportunity to discuss what they want to see done in Wisconsin, Schuh said.

She attended workshops on how other states’ student associations work and are funded, issues student leaders have to deal with, skills they need, financial options and public relations.

Schuh also listened to speakers but wasn’t impressed with the issues they addressed.

Schuh said Duane Grischau, a motivational speaker from San Diego, was not speaking “at the level of activism that students were looking for.”

One topic brought up at the conference Schuh would like to see discussed for Eau Claire is the possibility of having a full-time “campus organizer” who would help with organizing, recruiting and training for student government.

She would like to see the position filled by a recent graduate who is looking to be a student advocate.

Although that will not happen immediately, Schuh is going to work toward it.

“It will be my goal to lay the groundwork for the things that I learn in my term,” Schuh said.

Another goal will be to create a stronger relationship between the student government and the Foundation. Schuh will meet with Chancellor Donald Mash next week to discuss techniques she learned at the conference.

Overall, Wisconsin was a role model at the conference, Schuh said.

“We are definitely one of the premiere student associations across the nation.”