Corey Robinson is mainly known around campus and to Irish fans as No. 88, a member of the Notre Dame receiving corps. But this spring, the junior will take on an additional role — candidate for student government president for the upcoming term.
Robinson acknowledged that while both campaigning over the next few weeks and, if elected, the job itself will take up much of his time, he said he will still remain a full-time member of the football team.
Campaigning takes place from this Tuesday to election day, Feb. 10, and the University’s new student government president will commence his or her term April 1. Notre Dame’s spring practice kicks off March 16 and runs until the Blue-Gold Game on April 16.
“This spring, all of our practices are in the morning, so we practice from six in the morning until 10 a.m., and the rest of the day is free, and I have one class a day, no class on Fridays,” he said. “In the summer, same kind of thing — we only practice for two hours a day, and I’m going to be here every day, all day, so that’ll be easy as well. I’m only taking one class. “
Once the Irish begin their 2016 season in August, Robinson said his schedule will change but would still allow him to fully work in student government.
“In the fall, we practice to 2:30 to 7, so anything between those hours, I can’t participate in, but the rest of the day, I’m free,” he said. “I’m going to have three or four classes … and the way my schedule works, only football and student body, so that way, I’ll be able to be fully invested in both, in those two aspects.”
Robinson, who is pursuing a major in the Program of Liberal Studies with a sustainability minor, said his academic schedule would allow him to devote most of his energy to the commitments on both the football team and within student government. He added he sought insight from the last three student government presidents in making his decision to run.
“I talked to Alex Coccia, talked to Lauren Vidal, talked to Bryan Ricketts, and I’ve talked to all my friends in student [government] when I was in student [government] on the executive cabinet last year [as athletics representative], so I know very well what kind of time commitment it’s going to be,” he said. “ … I’ve talked with Alex firsthand since he was a national championship fencer, and I asked him how he balanced it, so after getting advice from everybody, I’ve kind of crafted this situation in which class won’t really be an issue and where I can just put all my time and effort into those two spheres.”
The San Antonio native said the amount of academic credits he has earned would allow him to graduate this May, but he has added a business economics minor that would preserve his status as an undergraduate, a requirement for the presidential position, through next May.
“I’ve planned ahead, gotten all of my hard work out of the way this semester, and I’m finishing up my senior thesis,” Robinson said. “I’m doing all the hard stuff now so in the fall and the spring, I just have to take two classes pretty much.”
Along with his previous work as athletics representative, Robinson currently serves as vice president for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Rebecca Blais, a sophomore political science and peace studies major who most recently served as student government’s director of internal affairs, will run alongside Robinson as his vice presidential candidate.
“If we do get elected, I’m going to have a very experienced team with everyone who knows what they’re going to be doing, so that way, I won’t have to be around every single second of every single day,” he said. “We’ll have a very experienced, very veteran team, where I can be more of an overseer. … I’d let them do their thing, through updates and through meetings, more of than kind of role as opposed to a micromanager.”
Robinson said they will run on a platform of “open communication and a shared vision” to represent the student body, “the real power of the University — students are Notre Dame.” Additionally, he said he would like to develop a more “creative and innovative space” at the University if he were elected.
Robinson is not the only member of the football team involved in student government elections this year. Freshman defensive lineman Jerry Tillery announced via Twitter on Tuesday that he is serving as campaign manager for the ticket of juniors Louis Bertolotti and Elizabeth Fenton.
