St. Edward’s University’s Student Government Association (SGA) held their senator debates on Sept. 23 in Jones Auditorium. With six prospective senators seated on stage and ready to debate, SGA President Mikayla Pastrano and Elections Commissioner Aggie Guevara moderated. A little over a dozen students sat in the audience and had the chance to submit questions to be answered by the prospective senators. 

The debates began with opening statements from the senatorial candidates: Alejandro Acosta, Annie Kuzmanoski, Carlos Mata, Zoe Mendoza, Gabrielle North and Tanner Stewart. Each candidate introduced themselves and outlined their platforms for their time in SGA with common themes of inclusivity, representation and overall community support. 

Acosta wishes to serve as a representative for transfer and commuter students. He came in as a transfer student his sophomore year and emphasized the challenges he faced when adapting to the new school. He values the importance of having a voice in SGA and ensures that all students, even those who may feel overlooked, have support and representation in SGA.

“As a senior graduating in December, and this is my first time getting involved, I want everyone to know it is never too late to get involved,” Acosta said. 

Kuzmanoski’s candidacy is centered around the principles of love, kindness and respect. She stresses the importance of creating a welcoming and loving environment where everyone supports one another. Kuzmanoski believes that promoting kindness and love is crucial, especially in a university setting, and is committed to upholding those values. She hopes to create more inclusive events on campus. 

“My platform is surrounded by all for one and one for all,” Kumanoski said. “I think that is the most important thing we could do in this lifetime; treating each other with love and respect no matter what.”

Mata’s motivation for running for senator stems from his personal journey as an immigrant from Mexico. He emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of family and community within the university. Mata wants to ensure that other students have the same welcoming experience he had, where they feel a sense of belonging and support. His mission is to strengthen the university community and foster an environment where all students can thrive. He hopes to implement a “safe space” on campus. 

“Coming to this institution and feeling warmth and humanity, I want to make sure other students experience what I did, which was a family,” Mata said. “I want to know you and serve you.”

Mendoza is running in hopes of supporting students who struggle to get involved in organizations due to shyness or a lack of connections. She personally understands the difficulty of getting involved and putting yourself out there. She aims to create an environment where all students feel encouraged and welcome to participate. Mendoza believes that everyone deserves representation that reflects their true selves at St. Edward’s University, and she aims to be that representative. 

“The student body needs to be represented more,” Mendoza said. “I’m excited to represent what St. Edward’s actually is and all that we could be.” 

North is dedicated to taking a step closer to ensuring a diverse and inclusive future for the campus community at St. Edward’s. As the vice president of the Black Student Alliance, she is actively involved in campus activities and aims to promote inclusivity through her role as a senator. She hopes to collaborate with identity based organizations to create events that people want to attend. 

“A lot of voices go unheard, and I know what that’s like,” North said. “I want to make sure students are being heard, and running for senator is just a step closer to ensuring that there are diverse and inclusive voices being heard.” 

Stewart’s platform is centered around advocating for greater accessibility on campus, particularly for individuals with disabilities. He aims to promote inclusivity and ensure that all students have equal opportunities to participate in campus life. Stewart aims to create more opportunities for students of all kinds to feel more at home on campus and at events. 

“Our job is to be the proper bridge between us as students and the faculty,” Stewart said. “I am eager to get your voices heard and your problems solved. This team of senators is willing to take that affirmative action that this community needs.” 

Voting can be accessed through the Collegiate Link portal on myHilltop and in the @seu_sga Instagram bio, voting closes on Sept. 25 at 8 pm.