Austin Lane is a sophomore communications major from Kerrville, Texas. There, he was a ruling elder at his church and served on the budget and finance committee. This experience prepared him well for his current senatorial role with the university’s Student Government Association; he is familiar with what it means to work as part of a whole with a common goal of mutual improvement. Although this is his first semester as a senator, he’s already looking ahead to the next step. As a vice presidential candidate, Lane has many goals for SGA and the St. Edward’s community.

Lane first got involved with SGA through his job with the University Programming Board. He was able to meet many dear friends, including members of SGA, during his time with UPB. 

“I’ve been interacting with the members of SGA since basically my first day here, as someone who found a home in the Student Involvement office and found lots of friends in SGA,” Lane said. 

Lane highlights the importance of SGA on campus as a hub of correspondence between students and faculty. 

“SGA provides the glue that holds everything together,” Lane said. “There’s the student body, there’s the administration, there’s the faculty. SGA is for the students, by the students, but it is also where the administration and faculty come to voice their concerns (and) tell us what they’re doing. And SGA has a responsibility of allowing (students) into those conversations.”

For Lane, the social connectivity that campus involvement provides is essential. He hopes that, through the role of vice president, he can continue to foster this campus environment.

“I want to do things that create a campus community that I want to be a part of, and that I am a part of,” Lane said. “I want to see this campus community grow and blossom like I have through my involvement in the campus. And I just want everyone else to have the chance to have (the) same experience that I’ve had by getting involved.”

In addition to fostering a connected St. Edward’s community, Lane also wants to push for internal efficiency within SGA. 

“My goals for SGA as vice president are definitely to become a better communicator with the campus community, as well as with the administration — just clearing up communication channels and being very transparent and vulnerable,” Lane said. “There’s been a big push for communication within SGA between everyone. And I just feel as though it’s a learning curve that we haven’t quite gotten to the top of yet, and that we need to maintain our trajectory there.” 

Debates will be held on Monday at 6 p.m. in Jones Auditorium. Candidates for president, vice president and senators will all take to the stage and highlight their plans to improve SGA and our campus community. Additionally, all candidates are tabling on Ragsdale Lawn every day until elections are over. They will be available Monday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. 

Polls open Monday, Sept. 25 after debates and close at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. To vote, click on the Linktree in SGA’s instagram biography. You can find their account @seu_sga. 

“Students should vote for me because I want the best for them,” Lane said.