Braden to take on leadership of IUSA exec board

Andy Braden said he will never forget the first time he walked into the IU Student Association office.

He was a freshman at the time, and he had taken several wrong turns and one wrong elevator before arriving for an interview.

His first look at the previous administration working diligently in that big office was one of his most memorable experiences with IUSA, he said, and that was when he knew he wanted to be like them.

“It was a really cool experience to see all these hardworking students dedicated to making IU better,” Braden said.

Braden, currently a sophomore, will be next year’s IUSA president. In that role, he will represent the entire student body.

His goal for next year’s administration is to reenergize IUSA and get more students involved across campus, he said.

“I would be very proud if my administration’s legacy was that we gave IUSA a jolt of energy and increased its relevancy on campus,” Braden said.

He said he plans to organize biweekly moving office hours, where IUSA senior staff members will go to popular locations on campus such as Wells Library and different food courts to interact with students and exchange ideas.

One initiative next year’s administration is brainstorming includes possibly expanding recreational sports spaces, giving intramural and recreational sports more room to practice.

IU currently has nine usable acres of sports fields. The Big Ten average is 41 acres, Braden said.

He also wants to look into improving mental health services on campus by expanding Counseling and Psychological Services and removing barriers that might make students hesitant to use them, such as expanding hours.

Braden said Welcome Week presents another area that needs improvement.

The majority of alcohol and sexual assault incidents occur during Welcome Week, Braden said. He said he believes IUSA could encourage student organizations on campus to provide some alternative activities to partying for freshmen and incoming students during those first days on campus.  

IUSA will have a new committee called the IUSA Think Tank, which will be dedicated to gathering new student ideas, researching student ideas and coming up with feedback.

“It’s basically a year-long outreach effort to push toward new ideas and thoughts outside of IUSA,” Braden said. “I don’t want to say these are the things we’re going to get done in office and then be satisfied with just moving toward those. IUSA should be a living, breathing organization that’s always adapting and requires always going to students.”

Braden is majoring in policy analysis in SPEA and is involved in the five-year accelerated master’s program in public affairs.

When he is not working with IUSA, Braden said he is performing in the improv group Awkward Silence or hanging out with his brothers in his fraternity.

Sophomore Leah Steele said she has been best friends with Braden for more than 10 years.

Steele said the two have gone through precalc in school, long bus rides, spring break and great times together in college. She said Braden is the best person she knows.

“He genuinely cares about everyone around him and is the most compassionate person I know,” Steele said. “He is always busy changing the world in one way or another, but will drop everything to be there for those closest to him. I can always count on him having my back. Friends like that don’t come around very often.”

Braden first got involved with IUSA in the internship program.

Though he took on many leadership roles in high school, he said he was drawn to IUSA because he wanted to join an organization that had the potential to make positive changes on campus.

This year, Braden served as one of the co-presidents of Culture of Care, a group within IUSA dedicated to raising awareness about sexual assault, mental health and drug and alcohol abuse on campus.

“If I didn’t have a lot of student government experience, it would definitely be a lot more intimidating,” Braden said. “I definitely feel ready.”

Current Chief of Staff and junior Dia Sharma will be serving in the same position in next year’s administration.

Sharma said she is excited to see the new dynamic that comes with any turnover of administration, as a result of different members and leadership styles within the team.

“He’s a great leader. He commands respect when he walks into the room,” Sharma said. “He focuses a lot on the team, which is really important. He’s really insistent that we make sure we get the best people for the job.”  

Sharma said IUSA will organize interviews this week for next year’s executive branch.

“We have a lot of new people that want to get involved, and a lot of great people returning,” Sharma said.

Braden said he encourages any student who is not satisfied with their college experience to approach IUSA.

“I’m looking forward to being able to fight for a cause on behalf of students,” Braden said. “A lot of student organizations do wonderful things, but IUSA is one of the few where you can really fight for something you’re passionate about. I’m excited just to look at the experience IU is offering students and see how we can improve that.”