By Matt Thacker
With the Student Government Association election results finalized, the winners have already begun preparing for next year.
The top four candidates ran unopposed, meaning they’ve had extra time to plan a new direction for next year’s SGA.
Bill Brammell, who takes over as president next year, believes the conversion will go smoothly. “We’ve already started going through the transition. We want to have a more concrete game plan going into next year,” said Brammell.
The SGA as a whole will have some new initiatives next year, but don’t expect any drastic changes. Brammell, who is currently the executive vice president, plans to continue developing many of the programs started this year.
“Ryan [McKinley] has done a very good job as president, but one of our main goals this year will be to work more with other groups on campus,” Brammell said.
Brammell wants to be more involved with groups such as the Student Activities Board, a segment of the SGA which includes seven committees including diversity, film and homecoming. Two of his main goals will be expanding the recycling program and developing a better relationship with the Athletic Department. He will also encourage student involvement on the state level.
“We want to work more with lobbying on the state level. Students have a really strong voice when they come together,” he said.
The SGA will approve changes to its constitution at April’s senate meeting, but Nathan Haney said when he becomes executive vice president next year, he plans to spend more time and research working to improve the constitution.
“My first priority for the next year is to overhaul our SGA constitution and bylaws. There are several outdated, redundant and procedural errors within it. I will work with the senators and administrators to develop a constitution that is stable and flawless,” he said.
The executive vice president oversees the SGA senate meetings, and senators can expect the meetings to have a different flavor next year.
“Meetings will likely be more formal than in the past and I will expect strict adherence to the rules that govern the body. I will also be a strict interpreter of the constitution and I will expect some things to change as soon as I am sworn in. No more dodging the rules — it is time we act like responsible people — and I will be sure that occurs,” Haney said.
Meanwhile, Alicia Paez has already been attending meetings to prepare for her new role as academic vice president. She will act as a student representative for staff senate meetings next year. Her main focus will be on discussing options with the university over the plus/minus grading system.
Sowmya Srinivasan will become services vice president, and she hopes to increase student involvement in SGA.
“Unfortunately, many of our constituents don’t know where to voice their opinions, so I will organize more events to increase student participation,” she said.
Srinivasan said she will also focus on providing child care services on campus, starting more daytime activities geared toward commuter students and completing the taxi service proposal with Yellow Cab. She said there will be three SGA days each month: the senate meeting, a political event and a social event.
Each school also has its own elected president, each of whom face different challenges. Business School students elected Frank Wu as their president for the second straight year. He said his biggest challenge will be establishing computer terminals around the Business School to replace the North Computer Center, which will be relocated this year.
Other officers will begin their first term next year. Erica Jones was elected as Music School president. She hopes to work with other departments at U of L and promote the Music School.
“It is truly and honor to be voted president for the School of Music,” she said. “I have enjoyed my education here so far and want to be able to help other music students enjoy and get as much out of their program as possible.”
Voter turnout reaches new low
The newly implemented online voting system, which cost $18,000, was expected to increase voting, but results were not seen in this year’s election. Only 5.24 percent of undergraduate students voted at this year’s SGA election, which is 876 students, compared to the 1,653 students who voted in last year’s election. Obviously, the online voting did not have the impact expected.
McKinley believes the low turnout has more to do with lack of competition for the top spots, and said online voting will continue next year.
“I think the low voter turnout is directly related to the executive officers being unopposed,” McKinley said.
Carlton More, a junior who transferred to U of L this year, said he plans to vote next election but chose not to this year because he knew nothing about those running for office.
“I think it would help if the candidates would go around and inform students of their beliefs and let them ask questions,” he said.
Justin Miracle, a sophomore, also said he wanted to vote but could not find any information on the candidates.
He felt online voting would help if information about the candidates was easily accessible online.
Freshman Ty-Juann Taylor said she would be more likely to vote if a polling booth were right in front of her.
“If I saw something right there in front of me I might be like, ‘Oh, maybe I should go vote.’ I didn’t vote this year because it doesn’t really matter to me. I see the events and even knew some of the candidates. I guess I should care, but I just don’t,” Taylor said.
