Student Government elections

After last year’s automatic victory for the single Spoon–Michalak ticket, this year’s Student Government elections feature two tickets running to lead the organization next year, with voting taking place from April 11-14.

One ticket consists of current SG Vice President Ian Michalak, whose running mate is SG Recording Secretary Dakota Ulrich. Their opponents are SG External Affairs Chair Amal Mohamed for president her running mate, Cameron Forsythe, chair of the campus affairs committee.

Michalak and Ulrich

Michalak and Ulrich both said their strength lies in their experience, as both of them have been members of student government for three years. According to Michalak, this experience is what sets them apart from their opposition.

“I believe our experience is definitely something that stands out. I believe we’ve been in for a very long time, I believe that we know a lot of people, we have a lot of connections, and I think that definitely sets us apart,” he said.

Ulrich said her experience with SG helped her learn more about UT’s campus, and her time on SG’s steering committee — which sets the senatorial agenda — has given her new insight in the organization.

“Once you’re in SG, you notice a lot more things on campus you didn’t notice before, and you kind of have the connections and the ability to reach out to people and get those things fixed, or improve on those things…,” Ulrich said.

Michalak said one of the main points of their campaign platform is focusing on improvements to the Student Union, including renovations. Michalak said these renovations will possibly come in the form of new furniture and cosmetic changes.

“I think that’s especially something we need when looking at getting students to come to UT, because a lot of similar size schools in the area have new student unions, so I think it’ll help us compete to get some of the best students,” Michalak said.

Another focus of Michalak and Ulrich’s platform are working to reduce fees for textbooks and restructuring the way student textbooks are assigned through the Barnes and Noble website, giving professors the option to let students know whether the textbook is mandatory, optional or suggested. Ulrich also said she is passionate about establishing a committee to foster UT-specific traditions on campus.

Both Michalak and Ulrich said they felt the current structure of SG as an organization is an effective one, and Ulrich said the organization runs as smoothly as could be expected. Michalak echoed those sentiments, saying he is happy with the way SG runs.

“I believe the structure is pretty sound as it is right now. I think we’ve had a big increase in membership, which is something I like, especially this semester, and I think that we’re a lot more efficient than we were last year, so I think we’re better but there’s always room to improve.”

Mohamed and Forsythe

Mohamed and Forsythe are both newer to SG than their opposition, but both are committee chairs within the organization. Both are also members of additional organizations outside of SG, which Mohamed and Forsythe said adds to their qualifications for the position.

“Both of us are currently on steering … so we definitely have the experience within Student Government to know how that runs and how that functions, but I also think we have something else to give outside of student government,” Mohamed said.

Forsythe also said his experience both inside and outside of SG will be an asset to him if he is elected. He said the combination of the previous leadership roles he has held will benefit him in the election.

“I have a lot of experience in a lot of different leadership outlets … and also through the organizations I’ve been a part of in the past that I would really like to take and incorporate into this campaign and ultimately into the position next year,” Forsythe said.

Mohamed said the cornerstone of their ticket’s platform is changing the way Student Government is perceived and how it interacts with students. To do this, Mohamed wants to refocus the organization and make it feel more accessible to students.

“Right now, we feel like Student Government is kind of like a branch of administration. We’re supposed to be the voice of the students to administration, but I feel like we’re starting to operate, as Cameron once mentioned, like our own student organization. We’re no longer there just for the students, we’re more there for ourselves, and our entire platform is we need to change that,” Mohamed said.

Forsythe also emphasized both his and Mohamed’s desire to stay student-centered and to keep SG interacting with and serving the student body.

“I feel like we have a lot of opportunities to reach out to students and student organizations to really focus on what they want Student Government to be doing … ultimately, we need to be guided on what students want in order to truly and effectively do our jobs,” Forsythe said.

In addition to changing the presence of SG on campus and focusing on students, Mohamed also said she wants to change the atmosphere and level of energy on campus. After her experiences as a commuter student, Mohamed said she thinks student involvement and excitement levels can be improved, partially through reaching out to individual student organizations.