Anthony “AP” Peterson: Inspired student and BOD member fights for student’s rights

BY KELLY REQUA: Staff Reporter

Last Friday, speakers blasted music into the Student Union and Recreation Center (SURC), catching the noon lunch crowd off guard. Slowly, students began to dance in the open spaces between tables, creating traffic as others paused to see what was going on. The music shut off and a student in a Yankees hat and black T-shirt stood above the railing, shouting into a megaphone, rallying students to walk out of class on Friday. Students clapped and cheered as the dancers melted back into the crowd.

Anthony Peterson lowered the megaphone to his side and let out a breath of air. Flash mob number one complete.

Peterson, senior sociology and law and justice major, is the vice president of Student Life and Facilities on the Associated Students of Central Washington University - Board of Directors (ASCWU-BOD).

Peterson has been a key player in organizing the flash mobs and the upcoming student rally against budget cuts in Olympia on Feb. 15. A 22-year-old transfer student from Eastern Washington University, Anthony, or “AP” as his friends call him, has been more involved on campus in his one year here than most students are in four full years.

Peterson has been an intramural referee, worked at the Don and Verna Duncan Civic Engagement Center, held a leadership role in the Black Student Union (BSU), is involved in the Washington Student Association and the United States Student Association, and is now a member of the ASCWU-BOD.

Recently, Peterson has been working to organize the student walk out and rally to protest budget cuts that could lead to tuition increases. Peterson is passionate about empowering students to voice their opinion and he wants to make sure students do so before it’s too late.

“I hope to just create change and get students aware of their power as students, making sure they know their voice is needed and that it can be and it should be heard,” Peterson said. “If we experience budget cuts, it means tuition is probably going to go up, unfortunately last year we were a little late so we’re trying to nip it in the bud.”

Roxann Smith, senior public health major, worked with Peterson in the BSU and sees him as a leader.

“He’s all about making action happen but not overstepping it,” Smith said. “He’s a risk taker; I mean he helped start this lobby stuff going.”

Before transferring to Central in 2008, and becoming a student leader, Peterson attended Eastern Washington University where he played on the football team. At Eastern, Peterson became a member of the Omega Psi Phi, a prominent African American fraternity. He took a quarter off from school to return home to Tacoma to work before transferring to Central. Peterson came to Central to play football. He made it to camp, but injured his knee in training, ending his football career.

Upon arriving at Central, Peterson attended a BSU meeting and found the organization had of room for growth.

“I put in my two cents, and in the following year I was elected to BSU co-president,” Peterson said.

Double majoring in sociology and law and justice, Peterson hopes to use his education in the future to empower and help others.

“I just try to push myself in everything and know that I’m doing it hopefully to serve a higher purpose and really to make this campus more inclusive and diverse,” Peterson said.

While employed at the Civic Engagement Center last year, Peterson considered running for VP of student life and facilities, but decided not to so he could focus on his work at the engagement center. When the former VP of student life and facilities unexpectedly resigned last quarter, Peterson decided to submit his application.

“I already knew some current information and I did my research previously so I decided I might as well apply for the position because I had originally wanted to run for it anyway,” Peterson said.

As a member of the McNair Scholars program, Peterson plans to pursue a graduate degree in sociology and hopefully a doctorate degree as well.
Andre Dickerson, junior chemistry and biology major, is also a McNair scholar and admires Peterson for his ambitious personality.

“He’s a strong black intellect,” Dickerson said. “I’m happy to have him as a peer and to see him serving as a role model. [There’s] so many social stigmas, especially for the African [American] male. He’s a big contradiction to so many stereotypes.”
Peterson attributes his success and involvement to the mentoring he has received from various faculty members.

“My advisers and my professors have really made a difference in my life,” Peterson said. “When I first came here I wasn’t really ‘on course’ but [they] really had a big impact on the direction that I’m heading.”