The name on this year’s SGA ballot could be yours.
To prepare any interested candidates for the campaign season just a month away, Jordan Frye, a senior in social work and the SGA Election Commission held an optional interest meeting Tuesday night to go over general election guidelines and to inspire general interest in running for office.
The meeting briefly summarized the updated SGA Election Packet, detailing everything from when candidates can launch their websites to how much money candidates are allowed to spend on their campaigns.
Frye emphasized that a student doesn’t have to be a seasoned campaign veteran to succeed in election season and urged any interested participants to attend the mandatory election meeting on Feb. 19 and run for office.
“Whether you’re with a political party or just running independently, I think the best thing you can do is get out there and get involved if you have the slightest bit of interest,” Frye said. “You’ll obviously be an asset if you get elected.”
Kelsey Keny, SGA president and senior in journalism and electronic media, said she hopes there will be a more diverse selection of candidates to choose from this year as options have been limited in the past.
“Last year there weren’t a lot of people on the senate ballot, and we want to give people a chance to vote for who they want to vote for,” Keny said. “We want to fill that ballot as much as we can and get people involved in the democratic process.”
Aimee Kiefer, a sophomore in sociology and a potential candidate, said the reason she attended the meeting and plans to run for office is because she wants to make a difference for UT students.
“I just think there is a lot of good I could do,” Kiefer said. “I love this school, and I love being a part of things.”
Grayson Hawkins, a sophomore in chemistry and math, had similar reasons for running and said he hopes that SGA is the right platform to create meaningful change on campus.
“I see a lot of things that aren’t awesome at UT, and I hope I can change them to create a better environment for students,” Hawkins said.
For Keny, she said her experience as SGA president has provided her the opportunity to do just that. She said she hopes the best candidates will run and take away new skills and unparalleled experiences from their time in SGA.
“If you are wondering if you should run for SGA, if you think you are the best person to do this job, you should absolutely run for SGA,” Keny said. “It’s why I decided to run last year, and I’ve learned a lot from it. Not just a nameplate, but I’ve learned to serve UT and work with other people.”
For more information on running for SGA, contact Jordan Frye at [email protected].
