Student Government Association Vice President Ethan Lynne announced Wednesday that he’s vying for the body’s top post in April’s elections.

Lynne, a junior political communication major and former SGA senator, said if elected he’ll work to implement a 24/7 dining option for students, add SGA student “liaison” positions for representatives from club sports and international students and create a “centralized” online website for student services, like FixIt requests and features for reporting professors. Lynne said his experience working as a fellow in the Undergraduate Admissions Office has helped him learn about first-year students’ priorities, which he said will guide his approach to policymaking.

Lynne’s platform, which he calls the “5 Point Plan,” details his intentions for enhancing students’ campus experience by advocating for dining changes and student input in upcoming University decisions, like the hiring of a new GW Police Department Chief and the GW’s financial ties to the Medical Faculty Associates. He said he’ll work to obtain more funding for student organizations and expand projects he’s worked on over the last year as SGA vice president.

“I’ve gotten a lot of stuff done, a lot of accomplishments that are still not across the finish line,” Lynne said. “I think someone needs to see them across the finish line that has been working on them and really has been doing the work on these issues for the past few years here.”

Lynne said he wants the University to conduct an independent, third-party investigation into GW’s response to free speech on campus, similar to the audit done of GWPD safety violations.

He said he will push for the audit with the Board of Trustees, University President Ellen Granberg, Provost Chris Bracey and Dean of Students Colette Coleman, adding that the information is crucial to understanding what is “going wrong” with the University’s responses to student protests over the last few years.

“It feels right now to so many like it’s just a dark cloud that will make up rules as they go, and that’s not how we should be as a university, especially one in the nation’s capital, where free expression is so important,” Lynne said.

In his platform, Lynne said he wants to remove the fences in University Yard, which officials constructed as a result of last spring’s pro-Palestinian encampment. He said the presence of fences sends students the “wrong message.” Lynne said he has talked with students who have “both opinions” and determined that there should be a committee to decide the “future of the fence” and when it should be taken up or down.

The permanent fences, installed in December, are present to create “a safe campus environment” and maintain “the operation of our education and research programs,” according to the University’s “Strengthening our Community” website.

“Right now, if you were to ask who decides when the fence goes up and down, all the administration will just point fingers at each other,” Lynne said. “You will not get a clear answer. So I think that there needs to be a clear, transparent answer around who is behind the decision making of this fence, and are they taking students needs to concern.”

Lynne said students should be involved in the process to select a new GW Police Department chief. Former GWPD Chief James Tate resigned in October following gun safety concerns following reports of unregistered firearms and inadequate training procedures.

Lynne said he will create a search committee of students to be involved in the decision-making process and attend public arming training simulations to allow for increased police transparency.

“I think the report was pretty damning with how badly it went, and we don’t even have a permanent police chief right now, I don’t think we will, not for at least a few months,” Lynne said.

Lynne’s platform outlines his plan to expand dining hall hours on weekends and have at least one 24/7 dining option on campus. His platform also says he will advocate for a “much more accessible” student advisory panel meeting time which currently meets on a Friday of each month from noon to 1 p.m.

Lynne said he wants to establish daily walk-in hours for student organizations to receive SGA assistance for funding and create a committee of student organization leaders and Division for Student Affairs representatives to identify which policies are outdated and create new ones as well.

This year the SGA started hosting student organization president meetings where SGA leaders, like SGA President Ethan Fitzgerald meet with student organizations to review trainings and discuss issues with GW Engage. The SGA held the first monthly meeting in September.

“How can we make our rules and guidelines the most efficient to really help build student orgs up,” Lynne said. “Student orgs are the only thing here at an urban campus like this that really helps build community.”

Lynne has collected the mandatory number of signatures to appear on the ballot for the April 10 to 11 SGA election and is currently awaiting verification from the Joint Elections Commission.