Two candidates are running for Student Government Association president. From 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., candidates will represent their campaigns Wednesday through Friday and meet with students on the Haley Concourse. Voting will occur on Friday, Feb. 7 from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. and the winner will be announced the same day at 10 p.m. on the Cater Hall steps.
Owen Beaverstock
Owen Beaverstock is a junior majoring in political science and minoring in business and supply chain management. Beaverstock’s slogan for his campaign is “Be Better with Beaverstock,” inspired by his late friend, Will Romanowski. Beaverstock has served on SGA since his freshman year.
“One of our main goals in this whole campaign is to honor Romo [Romanowski] and his legacy while bringing the message that has changed so many people’s lives for the better to the rest of Auburn,” Beaverstock said.
One of Beaverstock’s goals in his campaign is to make Auburn an even better place than it already is.
“We hope to ensure that every student can leave this place with an amazing experience, a love for the big family that is Auburn, and to leave it better than we found it,” Beaverstock said.
Beaverstock’s campaign is divided into three pillars, Better Relationships, Better Family and Better Place.
“One of the greatest issues with SGA right now is that students believe it is detached from the rest of the school,” Beaverstock said. “We want to take a step towards changing that opinion this week and through the rest of this potential term - and that starts with how we will treat everyone on the concourse this week!”
His first goal, building relationships, will be strengthening the relationships with students and advisors, improving the class registration process by making key information, providing easy-to-access assistance to students and putting emphasis on cooperation with other student organizations.
Better families involve Beaverstock working to recruit talented students from diverse backgrounds and deeply rooted Auburn families, working with the city of Auburn on service initiatives that help the university and community and helping students navigate the off-campus housing market by increasing the amount of affordable student housing options.
His last pillar, Better Place, involves new dining options for students based on feedback, expanding safety systems like Blue Lights, building additional sidewalks and working with the student body on lining construction projects up with longer breaks and summer.
Jake Yohn
Contributed by Jake Yohn.
Jake Yohn, who studies political science, is running for SGA president with his platform “Yohn to Victory.” Yohn has served on SGA since his freshman year. Yohn’s campaign is based on four major points that he hopes to work and improve upon while president.
His first point is increasing visibility beyond campaign week. Yohn plans to hold open office hours outside of each major college an hour a day. He will also publish his schedule on the SGA website, ensuring students have direct access to voice their concerns.
His second point is to keep promises transparent. As president, Yohn pledges to release videos with executive officers to keep students informed about their progress. He also commits to openly addressing setbacks and providing clear explanations if challenges arise.
Yohn’s third point is about revitalizing the EXP branch, which offers one-time volunteering opportunities for students. Yohn plans to establish a leadership position to oversee the EXP branch's growth and create more leadership opportunities for students.
His last point is opening university committees. Many students are unaware of the impact university committees have on daily life. Yohn aims to expand these opportunities beyond SGA, to allow diverse perspectives in decision-making. He will also promote these positions more widely to increase student involvement.
Two key issues Yohn identifies at Auburn and plans to remedy while he serves are housing and parking.
“Most students feel that once campaign week ends, SGA disappears. You are late to class because you can’t find parking, you want to live on campus but you are turned away. It does not have to be this way. Auburn’s SGA can be better,” Yohn said.
Yohn advocates for a reformed parking system allowing students to select lots closer to their classes. Additionally, he plans to push for legislation enabling students to pay off parking tickets through community service.
To address housing availability and affordability, Yohn supports the development of additional on-campus residence halls. He also intends to work with city and university officials to hold developers accountable when they prioritize game-day condos instead of affordable student housing.
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Michaela Yielding is a senior in journalism currently serving as the news editor. She has been with The Auburn Plainsman since fall 2023.
