The external relations committee, one of seven in Grand Valley State University’s student senate, hopes to maintain good relations with outside communities in order to benefit students.

Andy Oeffner, 20, is the vice president for the ERC and originally joined the student senate because he wanted to not only make a difference in his life, but in other people’s lives as well. So what do the members of the ERC do to help out and aid in student experience at GVSU?

The definition, as written in the student senate bylaws, states that “The external relations committee will act as a liaison between the student senate and the local community, ensuring that Grand Valley State University students have positive experiences in the areas surrounding the university.”

Oeffner views it as a committee that can deal with a broad range of issues and in multiple areas.

“Some areas that ERC has been dipping into (are) civic engagement, voter registration, promoting local businesses, maintain and improve relationships with Allendale and dealing with local safety concerns,” he said.

These are not the only issues the committee deals with. Oeffner credits his ability to be involved with so many different projects to his fellow senators.

“Without them, I would be moving extremely slowly on all my projects,” he said. “Being able to have people head these projects instead of having them all on my shoulders is a major relief.”

The ERC was one the biggest promoters of the mobile secretary of state that was on the Allendale Campus last week. Oeffner, who is a political science major, stressed the importance of students being involved with the upcoming elections.

“I don’t care who people vote for, I just want them to vote,” he said. “Young people need to realize that they are the future of the United States and they need to use their voices.”

In an effort to help students understand their important role in the political and voting world, the student senate has organized a political awareness subcommittee. This committee will be offering non-biased information about the upcoming elections, candidates and any hot topics that arise in the political sphere.

Oeffner said he is hoping that a promotional video for the committee will be released soon.

“There are countless problems on the local, state, and national levels in our government,” he said. “It is our duty as citizens to fight for change.”

In addition to the political awareness subcommittee, there are also a number of other projects that Oeffner and his committee members are working on. Senator Libby Liebertz is working on hosting an assembly at Allendale High School as to highlight the importance of civic engagement, voting and education. Oeffner is working on a number of other projects, including one that hits home for off-campus students.

“I’m working with Allendale and Ottawa County to get sidewalks and lighting on Pierce Street and West Campus Drive,” he said. “This is one of my most important projects, but the hardest one to push forward, it seems.”

He notes that it is sometimes hard to start projects or get them moving along because there may be people who do not want to cooperate.

“The only real problem is hitting roadblocks and having to deal with a community that wants to distinguish itself from the university,” Oeffner said. “Sometimes they are not always as excited as we are to create solutions to problems.”

Nevertheless, the committee pushes forward and does its best to provide good connections for GVSU students to people and places outside of the school and into neighboring communities.

“The most important thing to me is that I am in a role to hopefully motivate our generation to get up and stand up for what they want,” Oeffner said.