Riley Chambers calls himself the underdog.
After all, he said, he hasn’t put as much time or funding into his campaign as his opponents. He isn’t a political science student, nor does he have prior Student Government experience, two things he said can come in handy when running for SG office. Aside from a few friends helping out when they can, the last few weeks have been him getting his own message out.
But he isn’t letting any of that put a damper on his campaign — he’s running as what he calls the “typical, average USC student.”
Besides, he said, he has the qualities of a leader the voters are looking for: strong public speaking skills, event planning experience and a real knack for getting people on board with his ideas.
And he’s far from worried about connecting with the electorate.
“I feel like I know as many or more people than the other candidates,” the third-year biology student said.
That said, he’s formed his campaign goals with a typical USC student’s gripes in mind. His platform cites areas of campus he thinks could use improvement, from community service initiatives to campus safety and meal plan efficiency.
For Chambers, the main priority of his intended office is to act as a representative and communicate students’ needs to the Board of Trustees. Student body president doesn’t have the power to make huge changes in infrastructure, he said, but he thinks he can get the message across to those who can.
He may not have student senate or Freshman Council experience, but he’s a Carolina Scholar who sings in Cockapella and served on the GlobeMed executive board his freshman year.
Chambers decided to file for SG’s top office after friends and family encouraged him to go for it — he’s always come across to them as a tad presidential.
“Mr. President is kind of my nickname,” he said. “People call me that or President Chambers sometimes, especially when I’m wearing a suit.”
He’s dedicated to community service, a large portion of his platform, but he’ll still sleep past noon every now and then and he can’t resist a “Trailer Park Boys” marathon.
“I want everyone to know I’m the most positive and genuine candidate and the best leader out of all the candidates,” he said.
And he’s goofy, too. For Chambers, his sense of humor is key.
In an endorsement interview with The Daily Gamecock, Chambers noted how diverse USC’s demographic is when it comes to race, gender, political ideology and the like before channeling country star Toby Keith and pointing out USC students’ unifying factor.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “we’re all just drunk Gamecocks.”