Get to know the SGA candidates

Presidential Candidates
Chelsea Crooks
Junior in microbial, cellular, and molecular biology and Spanish.
“My goal has been to target people across the University,” Crooks said. “Not just the demographics that have always been targeted.” Crooks plans to reach as many students as possible throughout the whole campaign.
Crooks has qualifications that include SGA AVP academic affairs, central classroom facility committee member, academic affairs committee member and director in the Beat Bama Food Drive.
Crooks wants to add on campus dining venues including in the library to promote a community and give students a variety of the options for them to dine at, Crooks said.
Crooks will work with the night time transportation system make sure that it’s effectively serving the needs of the students.
“(I will) establish drop off zones on campus that allow students to drop off and pick up their friends safely on campus,” Crooks said.
One aspect of her platform includes giving students the option to have a mini TigerCard, in addition to the traditional sized TigerCard.
“You can just have it on your keys and you know you wont lose it as often, it’s more accessible.” Crooks said. She will work to increase the resources available to students in terms of study partners, SI and educational support services as well as increasing the selection of books available as part of the textbook reserve program, Crooks said.
Harrison Mill
Senior in accounting.
His platform is broken up into several different categories including academics, dining, transportation and student life.
Mills wants to change aspects of class registration to make it easier for students.
“I’d like to reduce the number of ‘TBAs’ shown when registering for classes,” Mills said. As for dining, Mills would like to add a dining option to the library and implement an all you care to eat dining option on campus, possibly in the Hill.
“One way we would get that accomplished is ensuring that there is student representation on that committee, which there currently is not,” Mills said.
For the transportation part of his platform, Mills wants to make the transit system more efficient by using the help of students in industrial and civil engineering majors.

“I think that gives Auburn University a very unique learning experience,” Mills said. “(It gives) students in their respective field a project that they can take out into the real world, like an internship.”
Mills will have a blackboard and posters available for students to write on about issues that may not be addressed in his platform so that he can improve on them.
Mills has qualifications including SGA Senator At-Large; budget and finance committee chair, SGA senator college of liberal arts, various university boards and committees, fraternity vice president of programming and fraternity vice president of finance.

Eric Savage
Junior in entrepreneurship and family business.
He is involved in the Division of Student Affairs Student and Media Initiatives, Health Promotion and Wellness Services Unsupersizeme AU Participant, SGA Assistant Director of Emerging Leader Institute, SGA Big Event Project Coordinator and Social Fraternity Social Chairman.
Savage will rely heavily on social media for his campaign.
“I’ve worked for a very long time coming up with some really awesome videos that are going to allow students to get to know me as a candidate; more than just someone who is standing out on the concourse giving away free candy,” Savage said.
Savage plans on changing the dining system to benefit students.
He will change dining dollars to a point value system so that students won’t over-spend on meals, Savage said. Instead of the remaining TigerCard money at the end of the year being taken from the student, Savage wants the university to refund the student or credit the money to their TigerClub account.
Savage wants to add a dining venue for the RBD library that would be open during studying hours.
He hopes to eliminate unused stops on the transit route and to create parking meter spaces for the student center parking deck and the library parking deck among other places on campus where students can park to run quick errands.

Vice Presidential Candidates

Wesley Clendinen
Junior in animal sciences.
Clendinen is currently a senator for the College of Agriculture and said through that, he has been able to see how the SGA senate is run.
“I want to utilize the vice president position to take senate and become more involved in the student body,” Clendinen said.
“I want to make an online ticket exchange to do away with people who are buying tickets and then selling them at high prices,” Clendinen said.
“I also want to make sure we have legitimate study days every semester during the week before exams.”
Clendinen also wants to see a healthy food options.
Clendinen said he wants them to resembles Whole Foods or Earth Fare.
Clendinen also said he believes that students should have the opportunity to become more aware of what SGA is doing on campus throughout the year.
“I really want to establish an SGA newsletter,” Clendinen said.

Amy Anne Olsen
Junior in finance. Olsen is currently an SGA senator at-large, has been involved in SGA for three years.
“I am excited at the opportunity to keep serving students and the senators and be a resource to them so they can serve better as well,” Olsen said.
Olsen has plans to expand the collegiate readership program by providing students with publications like the Wall Street Journal.
Olsen also wants to see the late night transportation on campus improve.
“Late night transportation is an issue so I want to work with that,” Olsen said. “We need to push administration to increase funding for late night security and I think if students voice that opinion strongly enough, administration will do something because campus safety is a high priority.”
Olsen said she also wants to make sure students’ money is being used effectively.
“The student senate allocates $2 million every year of student activity fees and we all pay into that as students,” Olsen said.

Cody Sanders
Junior in political science.
Sanders began his time in SGA during Tiger Tuesdays as a freshman and said through that, he has developed great experience and passion for serving Auburn.
Sanders has been a student recruiter, which he said has taught him the ins and outs of Auburn and has made him passionate about serving the student body.
Sanders plans to serve the student body further by making changes with the Tiger Transit system.
“It needs to be more efficient overall,” Sanders said. “Some routes should be shortened and others need to be longer and we need to have more buses going.”
Sanders also wants to make some advancements within Tiger Dining to bring coffee kiosks around campus.
“My idea is to have it be like Weagle Water,” Sanders said.
“Students will be able to walk up and swipe their tiger card to cut down lines at Starbucks and Caribou Coffee.”

Treasurer Candidates

Wilson Yeilding
Yielding, a Birmingham native and junior in exercise science has a list of qualifications ranging from Co-Director of Auxiliary Services, assistant director of Better Relations Day, a Big event staff member, and a member of the Beat Bama Food Drive Auction Committee.
His goals for treasurer include expanding the use of student fees, and overseeing how the fees are used by the various university organizations that receive them.
He also wants to work with the Student Senate, in what he called an open and transparent process, in order to distribute the funds in a way that would maximize their potential.
Yeilding is a member of the Sigma Alpha epsilon fraternity.
“I feel that Auburn needs a person that can do the treasurer position but also help out with other jobs such as parking and dining services,” he said.
He had no comment on a recent public intoxication charge in Gwinnett County, Ga., during winter break; and also no comment on his opponent, William McManus.

Will McManus
McManus, aka DOLLA DOLLA WiLL, is a junior in political science and economics.
He said that as a “military-brat” he has lived across the U.S., but claims Alabama as his home state, having graduated from high school in Dothan.
“I am the current UPC vice president of finance,” McManus said. “UPC governs 49 percent of all allocated money coming from student activity fees. So they directly manage more money than any other student treasurer on campus.”
He said that he hopes to attend law school to potentially enter a political position at some point. However, he said that he wants to enlist in the Teach for America organization immediately after graduation.
His platform states that his campaign is not about gimmicks or political tricks, but developed from his desire for seriousness, transparency and a belief in experience.
He wants to move the budget planning period from the fall semester to the spring, in coordination with the University’s budget planning, and to recycle successful methods he used in the University Program Council into the SGA treasury.

Miss Auburn Candidates

Tara Jones
Junior in accounting and marketing.
Jones hopes to win the hearts of the Auburn students.
Jones is AVP of Communications and Marketing for SGA, is part of innovative Humanitarian Products Organization, is a member of Beta Alpha Psi, is in the Honors College, is ePortfolio Project Ambassador and is an Oaks retreat counselor.
“My platform is about the world’s water crisis. it’s a huge need that I have a heart for,” Jones said. “When I was 16, through a series of events, the water crisis really got my attention because I didn’t even know it existed and how nearly one billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water and how we so often take it for granted. I want to show students that yes, they are just a student, but I got involved and (they can too).”
Jones encourages students who are passionate about the water crisis to vote for her.
“Also they should vote for me because I care about issues that are outside of Auburn’s circle. From my time here I have become friends with international students, incoming freshmen and all demographics and that’s one of the biggest things I love about Auburn. I want (students) to vote for me with the knowledge that I’m not your ‘cookie-cutter’ student, I want to make a difference in the world and I’m not just saying that,” Jones said.

Emily Jordan
Junior in marketing.
Jordan won Miss Auburn University in 2012, is a student recruiter, a member of the AU rhythm Hip Hop Dance Troupe, secretary of Lambda Sigma and director of campus activities in her social sorority.
Jordan’s platform revolves around getting more students involved with the arts on campus.
There are four main areas that Jordan wants to pinpoint for her campaign.
“The first is to make art classes more accessible to non-art majors and also elevating the opportunities that already exist for art majors and making students more aware of that,” Jordan said. “The second thing is doing the initial groundwork for the Auburn School of Fine Arts and Dance. The third thing is having an art week, which will hopefully be sometime in the fall.”
Jordan wants to be Miss Auburn just to serve the University and community of Auburn.
“I’m running because I really think that the arts are really huge and I think it’s something that Auburn could really benefit from,” Jordan said. “I feel like it’s something I’m really passionate about and why I would love to have this position.”
Jordan’s slogan is “just dance, just sing, just paint, just create, just Jordan.”

Katie Kuhn
Junior in biomedical sciences.
Kuhn is spot #2 on the ballot for Miss Auburn 2013.
Kuhn is Tigerettes and Tiger Hosts social director, a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a part of Cardinal Key and a part of Student Government Organization REACH program.
Kuhn’s platform revolves around Habitat for Humanity.
“One way to get freshmen involved when they get here is promoting an MLP of community service with a focus on Habitat for Humanity, where the freshmen are able to serve through Habitat for Humanity, whether it is to restore or rebuild buildings or rehabilitating,” Kuhn said.
Kuhn was able to help raise approximately $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity when she was director of the Tigerettes and Tiger Hosts fall 5K.
“I have the connections in order to make (volunteering) a reasonable thing for students to do,” Kuhn said.
Kuhn was nominated by Tigerettes and Tiger Hosts and said she is blessed to be in this position.
“I would do my best as Miss Auburn to be a role model for women, which is also what I think; Miss Auburn is a role model for women and young girls,” Kuhn said. “I have seen a wide range of things at Auburn and have been able to do a lot of things at Auburn.

Kate Hughes
Junior in civil engineering.
Hughes is a student recruiter, member of a social sorority, high school leadership council counselor and part of Tiger Tuesdays: emerging Leadership institute.
Hughes’ campaign will revolve around career services for students.
Hughes also hopes to implement a non-profit career fair, as well as, a majors and minors fair, for those unsure of their majors.
Hughes said it is important for Auburn students to realize all the career-related opportunities on campus.
“I think it’s really easy for people to get caught up in everyday activities, like class and social events, like football and we also forget some reasons why we are in college, which I am guilty of this all the time,” Hughes said.
“As much as I’d love to be an Auburn student, college is meant to be a launching pad for us for the next step in life, so I want students to start thinking about that next step now, so that when it actually comes they will be prepared.”
Hughes will incorporate the ever-so-popular mustache fad into her campaign.
“I know that you can tie in and you can say ‘opportunity is right under your nose,’” Hughes said.

Andrea Howard
Junior in human development and family studies.
Howard is a part of War eagle Girls and The Plainsman, the secretary in her social sorority, a Tigerette and is Welcome Week Project Coordinator.
Howard’s platform revolves around breast cancer awareness.
Howard wants to implement monthly ‘Cooking Pink’ classes to campus.
“There are tons of foods out there that actually can reduce the risk of breast cancer,” Howard said. “I didn’t know that before researching. I feel that if we can implement those cooking habits when people are young, if they were to be unfortunate and have to deal with this disease themselves, it wouldn’t have to be such a drastic lifestyle change.”
Howard is familiar with breast cancer since every generation in her family had been affected by it.
“My grandfather has breast cancer and my aunt has breast cancer too, so it’s a very real possibility for me since it’s been in every generation in my family,” Howard said.
Howard also would like to have a paintball tournament and a color race, where all the money raised will go to the breast cancer awareness foundation.