The candidates in the president and vice president race for this semester’s Student Government Association elections are campaigning for big changes on campus.

Presidential candidate Blanca Garcia and her running mate, vice presidential candidate Krista Heiden, are up against presidential candidate Hannah Kurtzweil and her running mate, vice presidential candidate Samantha Cook.

Garcia is currently serving as a sophomore senator for SGA, while Heiden is the service director and temporarily served as chief of staff.

Kurtzweil is currently serving as the vice president of Legislative Initiatives, with Cook serving as director of association events.

The candidates all expressed hopes to get students’ voices heard more clearly and to interact with the campus community more, among other things.

Further Student Input

“Blanca and I are very committed to advocating the student voice,” Heiden said.

Garcia said one instance of unheard student voices is the recent decision to make commuters purchase a meal plan.

“Students were angry because administration did not tell them about it until the decision was made,” Garcia said.

Strengthening the student voice is also the goal of Kurtzweil and Cook, who both want to hold SGA office hours outside the office. Cook said she wanted to get students’ opinions and feedback by sitting in the cafeteria at the same time each day in order for students to approach SGA officers to voice concerns.

Garcia and Heiden also said they plan on getting students voices heard through more face-to-face interaction.

Office hours policies require that students go to the SGA office in the Student Life department, located in Ragsdale; however, Heiden said that this time needs to be spent going out and talking to students.

Improved Campus Relationships

Kurtzweil and Cook are seeking to improve the relationship between students and the administration.

“One of my goals was to try to repair and make that relationship better,” Kurtzweil said.

Heiden said that she and Garcia want to go to the administrative offices and let personnel know that they want to be involved because they have ideas for solutions.

“I want to build mutual respect,” Garcia said. “I want them to know that we can delegate solutions.”

Campaign Funding

Another first for this election is the increase in campaign funding. Senate candidates may spend up to $250, while presidential and vice presidential candidates can spend up to $500 on their campaigns.

“I don’t have the ability to spend $500 at will,” Garcia said.

Kurtzweil said that she does not think that she will spend anywhere near $500 on the campaign.

“As of right now, I do not know how much we plan to spend,” Kurtzweil.

Changes

This semester, students will only vote on one vice presidential race. The legislation that SGA passed this semester consolidated the three vice presidential positions into one, and three vice chairs to be appointed by the vice president.

Students will not vote for the individual candidates in the presidential and vice presidential races due to a bill that established a ticket system in which presidential and vice presidential candidates run on a single ticket together.

“I think the ticket system will allow [the president and vice president] to be on the same page,” Kurtzweil said.

Two senators will be elected from each class and one senator from each of the schools.

Sophomore Noah Corn is running for the School of Humanities senator position, junior Karissa Eudy is running for the School of Education senator position and sophomore Payden Johnson is running for School of Natural Sciences senator position.

Junior Eric Bustos is running for the School of Behavior and Social Sciences senator position, and junior Aldaberto Vasquez-Paz is running for senator position for the School of Management and Business.

The two candidates for the senior class senator positions are incumbents Celso Baez III and Mary Michelle “Mimi” Valladarez, and candidates for junior senator position include Brady Faglie and Alexandra Simons.

The two sophomore senator position candidates include Olivia Bouree, Fremen DeRuvo and Andrew Christopher Guerrero.

Also, for the first time since 1999, students may vote for a new SGA Constitution and Student Bill of Rights, which will be available via EdWeb. Voting begins April 5 at 5 p.m. and ends April 12.

For students seeking more information about the candidates, SGA is hosting a “Meet the Candidates” event from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Student Life office, as well as a presidential debate from 7:30-9:30 p.m. in Jones Auditorium. Both events are April 6.

 PLATFORMS

Garcia-Heiden TicketBlanca GarciaCampaign Platform:My name is Blanca Garcia, and I am a sophomore Global Studies major. I have loved St. Edward’s University since the moment I stepped on campus, and due to this affection, I have remained involved in the St. Edward’s community. Since my first year here, I have been a senator for my class and am currently serving on committees such as SGA Takes Over Cyberspace, Annual Semi-formal, and Big Event.I along with my vice-presidential candidate believe that a strong voice is an important part of a strong university. This is why we want to strengthen the voice of those that walk around this beautiful campus everyday; rain or shine.  The Student Government Association was created in order to ensure that the student voice is heard. Unfortunately, in recent years there has been a weakening of the student voice. I want to dedicate this upcoming year to strengthen of the voice that is critical to St. Edward’s success.Krista HeidenCampaign Platform:My name is Krista Heiden, and I am currently a junior, Political science major. I have been extremely involved in campus life here at St. Edward’s. I have been active member at student government association. I have served as an associate member of the student government association. I have served as an associate member, Associate Public Relations Director, Chief of Staff, and Service Director. I have also been involved with various other campus organizations. I am currently the executive coordinator of Big Event.I am campaigning for the position of vice president in order to advocate for students. I think that in recent years students have been left out of the major decisions that affect them directly. Some of those decisions include the parking problem on campus, the technology fee, the disbandment of the cross-country team, the vast increase in tuition, and the recent mandated commuter meal plan. Students need to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. The student government association was founded to advocate for students and facilitate dialogue between the students and administration. In recent years, that job has been overlooked. I look forward to creating a relationship based on mutual respect and communication between the students and administration.

Kurtzweil-Cook TicketHannah KurtzweilPlatform Statement:My name is Hannah Kurtzweil and I’ll be graduating in May 2011. I’ve been actively involved with student government for the past two years. My first year in the organization, I served as the senator for the School of Natural Sciences. This year, I’m serving as the Vice President of Legislative initiatives. I have worked on several key pieces of legislation, including the reinstatement of the Pass/No Pass option for Science in Perspective. I am currently working towards a more green campus by changing our lighting to LED, starting in the parking garage. Serving as a Vice President for a year, I am aware of the work involved in the executive positions. I’m aware of the work involved in the relationship between the student government and the administration, as well as improve the relationship between the student body and the administration. I am both excited and ready to represent all of you next year as the president of the Student government association for the 2010-2011 school year.Samantha CookPlatform Statement:Hello, my name is Samantha Cook and I am set to graduate May 2012. If you would consider Hannah Kurtzweil the brains of this ticket, then I am the heart. Last semester I took another step toward following my passion by designing my own interdisciplinary Major called Arts and Event Management. During the creation of my major, I worked flawlessly with a committee of faculty and with the Dean of Humanities, Father Lou Brusatti. As your Vice President, I will use the same passion and communication skills working for the benefit of the student body. This year was my first year in SGA and I served as the association Events director. Among my many events, I created two town halls to repair lagging contact between SGA and the students, where you can come, voice your vision for St. Edward’s University and discover how we can help achieve it. I will make sure the increased availability of SGA senators to their constituents for years to come. We are your best avenue for change, and we will continue to be here for you.

School SenatorsNoah CornPlatform Statement:If elected, I will do my duty to our laws and the student body. I will do my best to help students, whatever it may cost me. I know the obligations of the office to which I have held and of the office to which I hope to attain. If elected, I will remain an ineluctably stalwart senator in the services of the student body.Karissa EudyPlatform Statement:Hello, my name is Karissa Eudy; I am an Elementary Education major and the current student government representative for the School of Education. Over my past year in the association, I have worked hard to address the desires of the student body, particularly through my service on the student representation committee and an initiative with Senator Caitlyn Berry to bring American Sign Language to St. Edward’s. If reelected, I hope to take on projects that reflect the concerns of my constituents, including those that will increase SGA’s ability to support student organizations and increase communication between school administrators and students.Payden JohnsonPlatforms Statement:Hello, my name is Payden Johnson and I am running for Senator of the School of Natural Sciences. I am majoring in mathematics and expect to graduate in 2012. I am from a small town in west Texas called Tuscola. I grew up in the country and was taught hard work, dependability, grounded thought, organization, and to complete tasks. My goals while serving as senator are to acquire more funding for the addition to the science building, to deal with issues with Bon Appétit, and help St. Edward’s flourish.Eric BustosPlatform Statement:[I], Eric Bustos current junior and political science major am seeking the position of Senator for the School of Behavior and Social Sciences. I am currently a senator for the junior class, and member of the College Democrats at St. Edward’s. This has been my first year in student government, and I have really enjoyed  it thus far. I would like to continue to next year in the organization so that I can further serve the St. Edward’s Community. Service is something I hold in great value, and I would be honored to continue doing so for the students of the St. Edward’s, and especially those in the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences.Aldalberto Vazquez-PazPlatform Statement:Unavailable at press time.

Senior Class SenatorsCelso Baez IIIPlatform Statement:Creating a link between the student body and administration is essential in realigning St. Edward’s University with its mission statement to avoid further obstacles such as the technology fee, the vacant parking garage and the recent commuter meal plan. The absence of student power in the decision making process has clearly diluted the school’s personality and appeal. In the university’s quest to gain prestige, it has forgotten where the school’s personality and distinctiveness is derived from, the students. As senior class senator I will work tirelessly to champion the concerns of students and realize a university campus where the administration acknowledges the students.Mary Michelle “Mimi” ValladarezPlatform Statement:I, Mimi Valladarez,  current Junior an psychology major, am running for the position of senator to be a representative of the senior class of 2010-2011. I have served in Student Government Association for three years as an association member and as director of service. I currently serve as the executive senator of the Junior class. As a senator, I have made many contributions to the association including authoring legislation to create a more transparent relationship with administration and students. The purpose of my participation in student government is to engage the student body in open dialogue that benefits our experiences and implement ways in which Student Government Association can significantly enhance the student experience at St. Edward’s University.

Junior Senators:Brady FaglieCampaign Statement:In my two years at St. Edward’s University, I have encountered a lack of tradition and pride in the university on the part of my fellow students. This general apathy hardly reflects the rich history of St. Edward’s university. It is my opinion that it is not the students but the institution that is to blame, for it has failed to create an environment that could foster either tradition or pride within the student body. As a Junior Senator, I will make it a point to combat this apathy creating environment that is conducive tradition and pride.Alexandra SimonsCampaign Statement:Over the past two years, I have been very involved in the student government association and gained quite a bit of knowledge on how this organization works and what we are supposed to do. We are elected officials of the student body, voted to be in office by the student body and expected to voice opinions and concerns of the student body.  I am a firm believer in statesmanship as opposed to the twisted game of politics. If given the opportunity again, I promise to carry out my duty to convey my constituents’ trepidations and opinions on current issues in our community to the administration as best I can.

Sophomore Senators:Olivia BoureeCampaign Statement:I am currently executive senator for the Freshman class. I sit on the Executive board and am co-chair of the legislative initiative committee. I participated in over 100 hours of community service since 2008. I’m passionate about serving my community. I was president of numerous clubs my senior year of high school. I’m a trained dancer in classical ballet and was a part of the most prestigious dance company in San Antonio. I made the Dean’s list with a 4.0 GPA. I would love to lead the sophomore senators to success next year.Fremen DeRuvoCampaign Statement:Hello, I am Aaron “Fremen” DeRuvo. As a Freshmen Senator, I have done best too improve St. Edward’s and hope to continue doing so next year as a Sophomore Senator. This year I have petitioned for more on campus recycling facilities, coordinated the creation of an anti-litter campaign, “Don’t Buck With SEU,” and improved efficiency SGA. Next year I hope to improve the effectiveness of SGA by making the resolutions we author more researched based and collaborative. I believe that as a business major, and as someone who understands how SGA functions, I am capable of achieving the aforementioned.Andrew Christopher GuerreroCampaign Statement:As Freshmen Senator, I work hard to make sure that your needs are addressed in SGA. I have always made decisions based on the needs of my constituents, and hope to continue to do so as Sophomore Class Senator. This year I voted on several bills and resolution including: efforts to keep costs down for on-campus and commuter students, increasing school spirit and making our school a welcoming place for all. While we’ve made great progress this year, there’s still much more to be done. Voting for me ensures that St. Edward’s is a university that works for everyone. 

 

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