In short, he’s a voice. When he speaks, people typically listen. And he doesn’t just speak for himself.
Darien Flowers, Student Government Association executive president-elect, said he has known since childhood that words have power. His love of political discussion and debate grew stronger as he became older, and come April, he will be the voice of unheard students.
“The craft of language and the effective use of it is a skill not many have,” Flowers said. “It can impact the world and our country. Healthy discourse is something every community needs.”
Flowers entered the scholastic political arena in high school and served as freshman and junior class president and student body vice-president during his four years at The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio. He prepared himself to enter collegiate politics even before arriving at Elon and began campaigning for freshman class Senator during his first week on campus, eventually securing the position.
“I think I met (Flowers) the first or second day he became involved in the SGA,” said Jana Lynn Patterson, assistant vice president for Student Life. “I immediately found him to be very motivated, very energetic and very inquisitive.”
Flowers ran for SGA office again during his sophomore year, and although he received a bid for sophomore class president, he lost the race to Becca Tynes, who he said remains a close friend. Instead, he served as the Academic Council liaison that year.
“My job was to be the avenue of communication between the academic council and the executive council as well as the deans of all the undergraduate schools,” Flowers said. “I was able to develop good working relationships with all the deans as well as see how the executive council worked.”
During Winter Term of that year, Flowers served as chairman of an ad-hoc committee organized to review the SGA constitution and bylaws. He helped draft the judicial manual and created the assistant secretary position.
In the spring, Flowers became speaker pro tempore for Sam Warren, former executive vice president and current executive president.
At the start of his junior year, Flowers was double majoring in political science and international studies, which he has since changed to a minor. As part of his international studies requirement, he spent the fall semester abroad in London and simultaneously served as junior class Senator.
“I was still involved and had regular communication with other members of the Senate,” Flowers said.
He decided to run for the executive presidency upon his return to the United States, a position he will assume April 1.
“My past in itself set me apart from the other candidates because I had the longest consecutive tenure in the SGA,” Flowers said. “I tried to be as visible as possible and make sure people remembered my name.”
Flowers said, first and foremost he is a student, and then a student-politician. He is an avid musician and has been playing percussion instruments since the fifth grade. For the past two years, he has been a member of Elon’s wind ensemble.
“Classical music is one of my passions,” Flowers said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to continue (playing) during my time at Elon.”
But when Flowers assumes the executive presidency next month, he said the needs of the student body will take priority.
“(Flowers) seems very committed to finding out the student issues on campus,” Patterson said. “He’s also very deferential to the other Senators and tries to engage them and get their opinion on things.”
Flowers said he hopes to foster a cooperative and communicative environment within the SGA and the Elon community as a whole. Despite his presidential title, he said he recognizes the limitations of his power within the SGA.
“It’s a common misconception that all the power lies with me,” Flowers said. “The power lies within the Senate. It’s my job to steer the Senate down a path of conversation and let the Senate come to it’s own conclusion. The Senate doesn’t work with me — rather, I work with the Senate.”