With Student Government Association election season upon us once again, knowing your candidates before heading to the ballots is essential. In an interview with the Daily Beacon, Connect UTK representatives Will Freeman, candidate for president, Madison Kahl, candidate for vice-president and Mariah Beane, candidate for student services, described in their own words what exactly their campaign means to the student body.

Q: What is Connect UTK?

MK: We’re essentially striving to connect students to their SGA, to their administration and to other students. We’ve been involved in SGA for the last three years, and I think through that we now know the ins and outs of the organization. We know what works and what doesn’t.

Q: Why did you decide to run for election this year?

WF: I’ve been a part of all three branches of SGA. I felt confident in the role that I’m running for as representing students, having conversations with the administration. It’s something that I’m excited about and think would be not only fun, but a good time to ‘connect’ with the students, as pun-y as that is.

MK: We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think we were the best people for the job … We know the people in (SGA) and we know what they can do and what they’re capable of and what ideas they have. Good ideas are good ideas.

Q: What is your biggest policy point and goal for next year?

WF: We’re trying to implement a presidents’ round table, where each organization across campus can have a representative, hopefully their president, come together in a room and just talk to each other about what’s going on in their organizations. I see a lot of value in that because it’s a good way for students across campus, not only in SGA, to have a better idea of what’s going on.

MK: Some of the feedback we’re getting is ‘Y’all (in SGA) are super relevant right now, but where are you later on in the year?’ I think that’s sort of a perennial problem with SGA. Every year that’s our feedback that’s been received … There needs to be that face-to-face conversation, and we think the presidents’ round table is a good way to do that.

Q: How have you gone about campaigning and gaining support?

MK: We’ve had a lot of one-to-one conversations. The people that are coming to our campaign meetings, it wasn’t like we sent them a blanket Facebook invite. We want to sit down, we want talk to you about what you want to do and hear your feedback on it. I think it was through those one-to-one conversations that people were like ‘Yeah, we want to get behind y’all on that.’

Q: What does your campaign have that makes you best suited to lead SGA next year?

MB: Ultimately, our experience has led us to the perspective of how SGA can impact students. While most times SGA is thought as indifferent in student’s minds, we recognize that and we’re okay with that in the sense that we know we just have to be passionate about whatever student concerns are out there and try our best to fulfill them.

Q: What sets Connect apart from other SGA campaigns?

MB: When we say we’re going to do something, we understand how we’re going to go about doing it.