Covering the SGA “coronation”
By: Cody Boteler, Senior Editor
Student Government Association candidate packets were due Friday and let me tell you guys, the field looks a little bleak.
Let me be clear—that’s not a swipe at any of the candidates, but the fact that there are so few. There is one candidate for each position on the Executive Board. There are 15 students running for 18 senate seats. Entirely uncontested.
You know what is contested? The judicial board. I’ll be honest—I don’t know what student justices do. The senate, though, controls how student fee money is spent, ultimately, because they approve the budget.
I’m really, really disappointed that the elections are (essentially) 100 percent uncontested this year. Contested elections are good for everyone running, because they challenge the candidates to really think about what they’re running on.
What happened this year to make the SGA elections so close to uncontested? Not hypothetical. Anyone know? I want to know.
We’re going to cover the “elections,” but I won’t lie—they’ll be boring this year. Last year was a real, contested election between two clashing tickets. This year there’s a handful of people “running” for positions that they’re guaranteed. Except, I guess, the judicial board.
I have full confidence in a lot of the candidates—especially Taylor James, who’s running for president. I’ve worked with her this year and I know she’ll do a great job as president.
But no representative governing body, like the SGA, should ever have coronations in place of elections.
