Who's next? With formal campaigning underway, candidates contend for top SGA positions as election day nears.
DEBATE: Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Tweet @AuburnSGA any questions you feel should be asked during the debate.
VOTE: Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Log on to AUAccess, click the campus life tab and follow the link to cast your vote. Two polling stations will be open on the Haley and Thatch Concourses as well.
CALLOUTS: Elections results will be announced Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 10 p.m. on the back steps of Cater Lawn
* Presidential Candidates *
LOGAN POWELL "Powell to the people"
EXPERIENCE: Powell served on the facilities and campus safety committee of the senate this past year.
PLATFORM: One of the ideas Powell said he hopes to implement is a mobile application that shows exactly where security shuttles are.
"We want to make it so students don't have to stand outside in the cold or rain while they wait for a security shuttle," Powell said. "We want students to be able to sit in the library and look at their phone and recognize a shuttle is about to be there and then be able to get picked up rather than having to wait."
According to Powell, another part of his platform is bettering on-campus dining by ridding the campus of the worst or less popular dining venues.
"We want to take out the worst dining venues and give students options," Powell said. "There would be a poll of three or four restaurants and whichever ones won the polling would be brought on campus to ensure students have the dining options they want."
Powell said he hopes to emphasize the importance of students completing their Auburn teaching evaluations, as he wants to make those public for students to see. This would allow students to see what teachers are like and see students' reactions to a teacher, making registering for classes easier.
Although Powell's platform is full of ideas aimed at bettering student life, one of his ideas will be more popular than the rest.
"Once a year, I want to be able to charter buses to a game in close proximity to Auburn," Powell said. "Whether it's Athens, Nashville or Oxford, I want to be able to load up charter buses and get Auburn students who did not have the opportunity to make it to an away game, the chance to make it to one."
HAYDEN HARRELSON "A New Day for SGA"
EXPERIENCE: Harrleson served as an assistant director for a Freshman Leadership Program and also in the executive office of students enabling students.
PLATFORM: Harrelson hopes to restructure the way students register for classes so students are able to take the classes they need when they need to take them. "I tried for nearly three years to get into one class," Harrelson said. "The system needs to be revamped so students are able to sign up for classes they need, when they need them, in order to keep them on track for graduation." Harrelson's plan for Auburn also sets its eyes on student transportation. If elected, Harrelson would change the time parking lots open for students from 5 pm to 4:30 pm. Harrelson has drawn up a bike rental plan to make getting around campus easier for students. "We came up with the idea of having University bikes," Harrelson said. "The bikes would be locked in the racks outside of the library, Haley, Student Center, etc., and students could swipe their Tiger Card, rent the bike, ride it to their destination and return the bike there.
Then, if need be, students could rent another bike to get back across campus." Although Harrelson has little experience within SGA, he says he has seen the improvements Auburn needs and is willing to work with students to ensure a better Auburn University.
"Although I've never served on SGA before, I do not think it truly matters," Harrelson said. "I think having been a normal student here for the past years is enough qualification in itself. I've heard what students think and I believe I can help better the University for the students."
* Vice Presidential Candidates *
OLABODE ANISE "O Knows"
EXPERIENCE: Anise served as an SGA senator for the past three years.
PLATFORM: Anise's platforms consists of four points.
First, he said he wants to make sure the senators are active and fulfilling their obligations, one of which is fulfilling the one-hour-a-week mandatory work.
Second, Anise said he hopes to revamp the days leading up to exam week.
"I really want to revamp those days prior to exam week," Anise said. "I know the administration has thought about it, but I want to make sure that all students have adequate enough time to prepare for their exams."
Third, Anise said he plans on improving advising, whether it be academic advising or making registering for classes easier.
Lastly, Anise said he plans to improve Wifi in nonacademic areas of Auburn, such as dormitories and the Student Center. If interested in assisting Anise with his campaign, contact campaign manager Rob Garcia via email at rzg0020@auburn.edu.
DAVID WISDOM "Walk with Wisdom"
EXPERIENCE: Wisdom served as president of the business school.
PLATFORM: The first part of Wisdom's platform deals with emphasizing communication and interaction between students. For example, Wisdom said he hopes to revamp senate office hours.
"Lately, office hours have not been that effective," Wisdom said. "I want to make it so there is a biweekly student interaction report where senators discuss issues with students within their college and then create a report. That way, we can see what is concerning to students, as well as showing them we care about them and what they have to say."
Also, Wisdom said he hopes to publish a summary of each SGA senate meeting following each meeting so students are able to follow what is going on within the senate. Wisdom said he hopes to revamp communication by making a Twitter just for SGA senate.
"I want to make a Twitter [feed] available for students to read what's going on," Wisdom said. "I also want to broadcast the senate meetings on Eagle Eye TV, so if someone who wanted to come to the meeting could not make it, they could watch it through Eagle Eye and not miss a thing."
Wisdom's platform extends past getting students interacting with senate into enhancing the academic experience and bringing new academic resources to Auburn. For example, Lowder has Scantron machines capable of printing student's information onto the Scantron. Wisdom said he hopes to expand those machines to every academic building on campus. Another improvement Wisdom said he hopes to make comes in the form of advising.
"If we could have a freshman advising center, it would help guide them into the path they should be in," he said. "It would allow the freshmen resources to pick which major to declare, as well as a resource for skills and personality assessments."
If you want to share your thoughts or concerns with Wisdom, look for the red couch with blue cushions on the concourse because according to Wisdom: "Before walking towards a brighter future, we must sit down and decide which way we want it to go."
* Treasurer Candidate *
RICHMOND GUNTER "Rich Makes Cents"
EXPERIENCE: Gunter served as the assistant vice president of finance last year, and also served on the budget and finance committee of SGA senate
PLATFORM: Gunter said he uses the last word in his slogan, "cents," to try and get his platform out to students. The first letter, C, represents his character.
The second letter, E, represents his experience. The third letter of the word, N, represents Gunter's neighborly attitude. "I want to introduce myself to students and be approachable," Gunter said.
"Students deserve to have their voices heard, and I'm willing to hear their stories and prospective in hopes of bettering the University."
The fourth letter, T, represents the word thrifty and plays a major role in Gunter's platform. Every year, a portion of student activity fees are used to pay the salaries of involvement advisors. Gunter said he hopes to create an Involvement Advisors Review Board to solicit feedback from students. "The review board would be made up of a mixture of students and faculty," Gunter said. "It would be used to solicit feedback or complaints in which the board could decide what sort of action to take.
However, the board would not have the authority to hire or fire." The final letter, S, represents service. Gunter said he hopes to double Miss Auburn's budget from $1,000 to $2,000. This budget increase would allow Miss Auburn to make a larger impact on the University and the community.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
