A Unified Role: Director and President
Mark Guthier and Jack Comeau posing in front of Memorial Union. Photo courtesy of Monica Slater.
Mark Guthier and Jack Comeau both fell in love with college unions at an early age.
Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier found his calling as an Indiana University (IU) Law School student. During the school year, Mark worked as an assistant hall director in the residence halls and enjoyed working with students. During his third year of law school, he got an internship with the Association of College Unions International; this started it all, as after graduation, Mark stayed at IU and worked at their Memorial Union for 11 years both as a program advisor for the union board and as a program director before coming to Wisconsin.
Jack, Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) president and an undergraduate senior, has worked at the Wisconsin Union for two years. He loves how the Union has remained the social center of campus, while enriching academic and out-of-the-classroom experiences for students through programming and opportunities.
The WUD president has an important role of leading the Directorate, a group of student-run committees who run programming in music, art, publications and much more. The president also chairs the Union Council, a student board that governs Union policy.
Jack’s role is the link between the Union and the broader student body and he has a responsibility to stay connected with other major offices across campus. Building relationships and improving connections with other campus organizations are Jack’s goals for the upcoming year, along with increasing student engagement in the governance process of the Union and being proactive when completing tasks.
Mark said he was largely surprised to see the extent that student governance was taken seriously at the Union when he started working.
“It’s not just lip service,” Mark said. “We really involve [students] in the process and listen to them.”
“I really like working with Mark,” Jack said. “Even if we disagree, he never shuts me out of a discussion. He is really attentive to student interests.”
The WUD President’s role has changed in the 13 years that Mark has been Union director. Now the student president and committee members are involved in construction processes to making sure that their programming is accessible to all.
For example, when the Marquee Theatre was under construction, the WUD president recruited a student project manager to communicate and work with construction firms. Progress was reported monthly to the union council and WUD Film played a major part in the design spaces as most of their year-long programming takes place in the Marquee.
“WUD helps us to make sure that our programming is still relevant to students,” Mark said.
With programming ranging from the Distinguished Lecture Series to Art to Society and Politics, many WUD leaders come in with big goals and visions on what they hope to accomplish.
“Attending the WUD retreat for incoming leaders at the end of the summer is always inspiring to me,” Mark said. “At that point, it’s all about the possibilities because the reality of time commitment hasn’t hit them yet.”
“Although when ‘it’ clicks, things move faster. The ‘it’ is that they can create meaningful change by participating through this shared governance structure.”
The largest “click” Mark has experienced was with Sarah Matthews, WUD president ‘12-’13, and the Revelry Music and Arts Festival. Sarah wanted to create an end-of-the-year event similar to other college campuses; this was at the same time that the university wanted to create an alcohol-alternative event.
Mark paid attention as Sarah built a coalition of administration, student government and supporters.
“Watching her create this event was a really great process to watch,” Mark said. “She spent all four years of her college experience with the Union and I think this insider-approach and her knowledge of the system helped her to be successful.”
Not only is WUD President Jack Comeau focused on the future of the Wisconsin Union, he has spent a lot of time looking at the past as well. Jack has spent the past school year working with Former Wisconsin Union Director Ted Crabb on the Union Archives.
“I think that the historical context has given me an advantage,” Jack said. “Ted is close to the Union’s goals and if you spend enough time with him, it’s hard not to become engulfed in this place.”
