With the 2012 Presidential Elections well underway, the DePaul community is following suit with their annual Student Government Elections. Thursday, May 10, aspiring candidates for positions within the association gathered to make their voices heard and express their concerns both inside and outside DePaul’s Loop and Lincoln Park campuses. The event welcomed back some veteran incumbents as well as some new hopefuls who stressed student involvement, campus outreach, and accommodation among their largest concerns.
The positions up for grabs in the “official representative voice of the student body” are divided between the Executive Branch (Including President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Executive Vice President of Operations, Student Affairs and Academic Affairs) and the Senate. All positions (26 in total) except the Senator for First Year Students, Senator for the Theater School, and Senator for Transfer Students will be open for election either by vote or, in the case of vacancy, internal SGA nominations.
According to the SGA website, all students seeking to run must have a minimum GPA of 2.5, be an active full-time student (with a few exceptions), and be in compliance with the University Code of Student Conduct throughout the entire year.
Seventeen candidates from various majors and years were given the opportunity to explain their platforms in the hour-long debate in the Student Center last week. The current students running on a ticket for President and Vice-President – senior Caroline Winsett and junior Casey Clemmons, respectively – spoke to their three concerns of 1) a lack of transparency in administration 2) access to education, including aid and textbook options, and 3) campus affinity.
Campus hours and security were issues voiced by Emily Duddleston and junior and Malloree Winston (not present at the debates). Duddleston, running for EVP of Operations, a title which she currently holds, sees keeping the library open 24 sees keeping the library open 24 hours as “a very big concern,” also addressing the security that would be needed in doing so.
Greg Zanotti and junior Joe Cunningham, both running for Senator for College of Commerce, focused on internships as a pivotal key to change in the upcoming school year, stating that there were too many students who lacked the resources or opportunities to grow outside of the classroom. “Any senatorial position needs to focus on the students. They need to listen, understand, and act on it,” said Zanotti.
DePaul’s student health and environmental commitment were also topics trending. Marcus Huels, a junior, is running for the Senate seat to represent the College of Heath and Science, DePaul’s newest college. “We can’t learn inside the classroom unless we’re healthy outside the classroom,” Huels said as he emphasized the importance of his College in the community.
For all candidates, this election cycle offers opportunities to either introduce new changes or continue working on old ones. For a complete list, students can go online to SGA’s Depaul website to view candidate profiles and platforms. Polls open Monday, May 14 at 12:01 a.m. and will continue until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 17. Votes can be cast online at http://sga.depaul.edu.
