Hometown: Little Rock, AR
Major: Economics/Business Bridge Major
Extracurriculars: Rhodes Student Government, Food Recovery Network, Bonner Scholar, Bonner Programming Intern
Since being elected to the Class Council as a firstyear, Rhodes Student Government (RSG) President Adil Khan ’16 has strived to serve the Rhodes community. “I believe that, regardless of where you are, there is something that can be improved on—and for me, student government was the avenue through which I could enact change and shape the college for the better,” he explains.
Adil has been a member of RSG since his sophomore year, when he was appointed the Bryan Campus Life Center (BCLC) liaison. The next year, he became the external communications chair to help fix what he describes as the “disconnect between what people think RSG does, and what we actually do.” His work as the communications chair helped to shape one of Adil’s main goals as president. “There are many organizations on campus that provide services to help resolve issues or that offer resources for students who want to become involved in helping to improve campus life,” says Adil. “Everyone is doing these great things, but not everyone knows about them. I want to connect the dots on campus. I’m committed to involving the entire campus in the process.”
Adil loves the opportunity of connecting students with other campus leaders. For instance, when he heard a student complaining about a change in the BCLC weight room, he made sure to connect them with Coach Mike Clary, director of athletics, and then accompanied the student to the meeting. He wants to create these connections not only between the administration and students, but also among the students themselves, “One of the hardest things, as a student, is being misinformed about something, and not knowing where to go to fix a problem,” says Adil. He has already received many requests from students who are passionate about issues on campus, and he is determined to help connect them to all the resources Rhodes has to offer.
As RSG president, Adil acknowledges that there is work that needs to be done at Rhodes. He proposes that the report from the President’s Commission on Campus Culture can be used by campus organizations to move forward. But Adil is proud of Rhodes and the student body as a whole, especially the new class, which he notes boasts increased diversity. Looking to the future, he is most excited about the growth of the college. “While the current construction may be a momentary hassle, the result will be something I will be proud of in the years to come. I’m looking forward to coming back in 10 years for Homecoming, and seeing all the changes sure to take place.”
But before then, Adil will be finishing up an economics and business bridge major, with plans to pursue a job in finance after graduation and to eventually get his master’s degree. He hopes to start in the private sector and then work his way back into the public sphere—only fitting, considering his years of service while at Rhodes.
By Sam Clark '17
