The most consistent thing about this year’s batch of platforms for Student Association president and executive vice president is the inconsistency.
Last year, nearly every candidate running for SA president and executive vice president said they would make Student Judicial Services reform a priority. J Street dining and Gelman Library also topped candidates’ platforms as perennial targets of student complaints.
With this year’s 12-candidate pool, the issues are as varied as those seeking the positions.
Some candidates are running their campaigns on ensuring adequate funding for student organizations, others are determined to eliminate various fees, including printing and the University Counseling Center, and still others are pledging to advocate for those traditional bedrock SA issues: dining and the library.
Current EVP Rob Maxim said he thinks the lack of a trending issue is a good thing for the student body.
“It gives voters an option as to what they want to see next year,” Maxim said. “It brings us to the stage where we’re getting original ideas and moving into new and innovative projects.”
SA presidential candidate Chris Clark said there is no single hot-button topic this year because there are more candidates to bring attention to a wider variety of issues. Last year, six candidates ran for the SA’s top two spots – two for president and four for executive vice president – compared with seven for president and five for EVP this year.
Caleb Raymond, also a candidate for SA president, disagreed, saying he does not think any big new issues have come up.
“You may not see a large, over-arching view because there haven’t been huge issues that have bothered the entire student body,” Raymond said.
Executive vice presidential candidate Amanda Galonek said she thinks there has been partial platform cohesion on Gelman Library and fee reduction, even though both areas are broad.
“It seems like everyone has their own platforms because everyone wants to offer the students tangible things by the end of their terms,” Galonek said.
