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Printer-Friendly ModeSeeley, Jawor, and Williamson hope to reform Student Association in 2008-2009
March 17, 2008 —
Three SVSU students are ready to jump into the ring and begin the battle to become president of the Student Association. But uppercuts and body jabs won't decide this bout: Instead, candidates plan to deliver knockout platforms.
Tadd Jawor, Angela Seeley, and Shane Williamson are campaigning for the position of SA president, now held by senior Jeremiah Stanghini, and have established a platform of goals that they would like to accomplish if they are elected. There are also 20 students running to become a representative.
Tadd Jawor is a senior majoring in business management and minoring in entrepreneurship. If he were to become president, his main goals are to increase student involvement on campus, especially commuter students, and inform the student body of SA's actions.
"Student Association is the biggest and most powerful student group on campus," said Jawor. "Most people do not feel that way or really know what it does. I would like to change that and provide people with information."
He would also like to further help Registered Student Organizations and funding. Concerning the promotion of health amongst the student body, Jawor would like to increase the number of services and programs offered by Counseling and Health Services and promote safer ways of partying.
Jawor said that his experience with the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon and his many classes dealing with leadership and management have helped prepare him to lead an organization such as Student Association. He has served as a social chair and is currently the treasurer of TKE. He has also participated and helped run some of the major campus activities, such as Homecoming, Battle of the Valleys, Relay for Life, Spring Fling, and Coming Home.
"I would like to take the experience and knowledge I have gained and apply it to being Student Association president," he said.
Angela Seeley is a senior majoring in occupational therapy. She is currently the Health and Wellness Committee chair in the Student Association. She thinks that the organization's issues and goals for next year can be divided into two categories: University and organization concerns.
"The organizational issues that need to be focused on include budget concerns, communication within the SA and with the student body, accessibility to students, and accountability of all representatives," she explained. "There is also room for improvement regarding diversity, health and wellness, collaborative programming, working with the administration, and meeting with students."
Seeley said that her experience as chair of the Health and Wellness Committee has taught her a lot about how to properly run the organization. She said that she has formed working relationships with administration and students, learned about the inner workings of the organization, and also how to create programming.
"I want to have the chance to make a difference on a campus that has influenced my life in such a huge way," she said. "I want to serve as an advocate for the students at SVSU to the administration."
Shane Williamson is a junior majoring in political science and minoring in communication. If he were to become president, he has outlined six main issues that he would like to address.
First, he said that he would deal with the issue of rising tuition costs by speaking on behalf of the students to the administration and encouraging an appropriate distribution of funding. Second, he would like to help commuter students make more of the SVSU campus and its facilities through various programming. Third, he would like to improve student services in areas such as the computer labs, library, housing, and academic advising, among others. Fourth, he would like to further promote academic leadership and excellence through various programs. Fifth, he would like to further develop student health and wellness services and initiatives. Sixth, he would like to promote a health multicultural environment through various programming.
Williamson has held a variety of leadership positions. His current positions include University Residence Association president, Program Board vice president, Phi Kappa Tau president, and Michigan Organization of Residence Hall Associations associate director of public relations.
"All of this experience is important in that I would get to bring all the different experiences and combine them into one as SA president," he said.
"A good president works with all groups. He or she works with all of their interests at heart. It starts with students first and that will be my motivating factor if I hold that position."
The candidates will formally discuss their platforms and answer questions in a debate set to take place Monday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall.
Students can begin casting their votes for their preferred candidate on Monday, March 24 at 9 p.m. Voting continues through Thursday, March 27 at 5 p.m.