By Nate Jackson/ reporter
NE students had a conversation Nov. 3 with U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, whose district includes South Campus, about some of the problems college students currently face as well as how to be an effective leader in the community.
“One of the problems that many of you are going to face as college students in America is student loan debt,” he said. “I finished paying my student loans when I was 35.”
Veasey told the students not to expect the federal government to bail them out every five years.
“It’s not completely the student’s fault they have this problem,” he said. “These universities and institutions have to find a way to make college more affordable.”
The congressman also talked about serving the citizens in his district.
“One thing that I do to stay in touch with my constituents is go work at various stores once a month with an initiative called Marc Means Business,” he said. “People will invite me into their businesses to go work for them, and I take pleasure in doing so. It helps me see different perspectives of the people that I’m representing.”
Veasey shared a story about one of those experiences when he rode in a UPS delivery truck to several small businesses.
The driver told him he has worked there for 29 years.
“UPS had afforded this gentleman the opportunity to give his family a nice lifestyle,” Veasey said. “But he wouldn’t be able to do that and would probably be out of a job if it weren’t for the small business owners. That just goes to show how legislation can affect small businesses in ways that we don’t often realize.”
Veasey also shared his passion for another initiative that he takes part in called Congress on Your Corner.
“I want to make sure that my constituents understand what I’m trying to accomplish on their behalf when I’m in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “When I’m out taking part in Congress on Your Corner, I encourage people to give me a call if they’re having issues with any federal agency. I want to go to bat on their behalf.”
Photos by Leo Anderson/The Collegian
During a Q&A session, the congressman offered advice to students learning how to develop time management skills.
“Don’t put so much on your plate that you can’t eat. It’s hard to be everything for everyone,” he said. “Despite what you read, you cannot multitask effectively. When you transition from one thing to another quickly, it takes time for your brain to realign to what you’re doing. So taking things one thing at a time would be my best advice.”
Students also asked him about his thoughts on good leadership.
“Leadership means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” he said. “Being able to learn from different failures and different successes and getting people to still buy into what you stand for is someone that is a good leader. Someone who is a good listener will always be able to lead. A lot of people in Washington, D.C., think they’re the smartest people in the world but are unwilling to listen.”
