“Focused on Action” vs. “No Bull Just Business”: What we have here is an election.
SGA elections for 2009-2010 are coming up soon, and it is important for students to start educating themselves on the candidates and their platforms now. A debate will be held Wednesday, April 8 in the LSC Theater at 6 p.m. to help students become more aware of each candidates’ platforms and how they plan to help the students during their term.
The candidates for President are: Student Body President Chris Yancy and Ryan Bridges; for Vice- President: Marcelo Pendelton and Lance Weaver; for Secretary: Monica Eaton and Steven Smith; and for Treasurer: Efe Mukoro and David Barnes.
These candidates have organized themselves into two tickets and are campaigning as groups, each advocating a slogan. The group that is campaigning the slogan “Focused on Action” consists of Yancy, Pendelton, Eaton and Mukoro. The group campaigning the “No Bull Just Business” slogan is Bridges, Weaver, Smith and Barnes.
Each party is trying to reach out to students in a variety of different ways, such as by hosting “Meet the Candidates” luncheons, tailgates and many other campaign events. The two parties both have Facebook groups to provide students with information on when their events are to be held and what they stand for as a party.
“Our campaign is mostly focused on accessibility to the students [and] to the administration,” said presidential candidate, Ryan Bridges. “We are trying to strengthen the bonds between SGA and the students and SGA and the administration.”
As seen on their Facebook group page, Yancy’s ticket advocates the idea that “together we all are ‘united and committed’ to remain ‘focused on action’ when it comes to serving our students here at Sam Houston State University.”
Polls open at 8 a.m. on April 15 and students will be voting via Student Voice.
“People can log on during the designated voting dates and times and cast their vote on the computer,” said Dean of Students, John Yarabeck. The link will be available to students on the SHSU homepage during election days.
Participation in elections is very important on each level of our nation’s government, whether it be voting for the president of the United States or the president of Student Government, a student’s vote counts.
“Like any democratic process, [the election] is only reflective of what the students want if they actually take advantage of voting,” said Dean Yarabeck. “If they want to have a say in how the student government is led and who represents them, it’s particularly important that they find out about these candidates and vote. A ‘no’ vote is like saying ‘I don’t really care’.”