Mike
“The Beave” Johnson voted A.S.I.
president
Mike Johnson
By
Monica Pardee
On-line Forty-Niner
Associated
Students Inc. President-elect Mike “The
Beave” Johnson is the only executive
officer to go from the position of treasurer
directly to being elected president.
His
predecessor, A.S.I. President Danny Vivian,
came closest by moving from his position
as treasurer, to vice president and then
to being elected for the presidency two
years in a row.
Johnson
has been involved in student government
for four years, beginning as the youngest
election commissioner when he was 18. He
has also been a Senator for the College
of Education and now has nearly completed
his term as treasurer for the 2003-04 year.
Johnson,
who said he is hoping to become a high school
teacher some day, has always sought involvement
in campus affairs. He said he feels that
long hours and event attendance is just
part of the territory.
“If
I was working for some corporation and I
put in a long day, you realize that you’re
just making someone else more money,”
Johnson said. “But here at Long Beach
State, if I put in a long day here as treasurer,
or my job next year as president, I’m
making the students lives better. That’s
really what drives me.”
Johnson
was in attendance at the rally outside the
governor’s office in Los Angeles Monday,
along with more than 400 Cal State Long
Beach students. According to Johnson, CSULB
had the largest delegation of students present
by far.
“I
want to be able to affect the average student
on this campus,” Johnson said. “I
want the average student whose not involved
in anything, who just works and goes to
class, and takes care of the family or whatever
they have to do, I want them to be able
to say, ‘Wow, you know what, someone
did something for me this year.’”
Johnson
has had his share of obstacles to overcome
in his campus political career. He has been
labeled because of his affiliations as a
member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and
for being on the College Republicans mailing
list and has suffered campaign slander during
this year’s election in the form of
anonymous leaflets.
“One
of the benefits of being in campus politics
is that I don’t have to be partisan,
I can truly do what’s best for our
students here on this campus,” Johnson
said. “I don’t have to worry
about Republicans and Democrats, or liberal
and conservative.”
Johnson
said he hopes to bring cohesion to the campus
community in the coming year by promoting
active participation in student government
among various campus groups.
“My family gave me a desire to make
more of myself,” Johnson said. “Not
to waste time, not to do selfish things.”
With
a nickname like “The Beave,”
Johnson shouldn’t have much trouble
getting across his message of optimism and
problem solving. Boyish charm and self-deprecating
humor humanize the man behind the campaign
poster.
“My
first couple weeks into my freshman year,
they looked at me and they said they thought
I looked like ‘Leave it to Beaver’
from the TV show, and it just kind of stuck,”
Johnson said. “There are a thousand
Mikes at Long Beach State but there’s
not too many Beaves.”
Johnson
said he looks forward to next year, challenges
and all, and the opportunity to fulfill
his promises and fill predecessor Danny
Vivian’s shoes.
“President
Vivian has worked hard and he’s always
done what’s best for his students,”
Johnson said.
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