With Student Body officer elections more than a week away, campaigning is at full speed.
Candidate names along with tickets and platforms were officially released on the Student Senate website earlier this week, revealing a total of 20 candidates, six of which are running for president.
Director of Student Activities Michelle Whited said this is the highest number of Student Body Officers Student Senate has seen since 2001 when 13 candidates ran for positions.
Of the six presidential candidates, four are campaigning with a full ticket including candidates for vice president, secretary and treasurer.
“I think that having the students running for Student Body Officer positions will get a lot of people involved,” said Election Sub-Committee chair junior Ethan Zentz. “But I hope that the students who do get involved will look at all the candidates before they pick one.”
Candidates have a week left to campaign with their tickets before elections start on April 1. Here is you’re quick guide to this year’s tickets.
To learn more about SBO candidates, visit the Student Senate website for candiate biographies and/or attend the Student Body Officer debate at 7 p.m., March 25 in the Student Center Ballroom.
Elections begin at 8 a.m., April 2nd and close at 5 p.m. April 3.
Blue Ticket
Candidates on the blue ticket include; senior psychology major Emmanuelle Bailey-Greene for president and junior entrepreneurship major Jerome Baker for vice-president.
Bailey-Greene is currently a senator in student senate and is the National Pan-Hellenic Council chairperson.
“I love Bradley, but there are a lot of changes that need to happen,” she said. “We are such a segregated campus, but many people don’t realize it because no one wants to talk about the hard issues. As student body president, I know that a serious change will happen in the structure of this campus.”
Blue Ticket Goals:
1. Focus on Freshmen: They propose that incoming freshmen receive an increased level of exposure to student organizations at summer orientation.
2. Greek Unity: They propose monthly social gathering to unify the Greek community and to encourage an increase in joint events to benefit Bradley’s campus.
3. Cultural Diversity: The blue ticket wants to end denial of cultural differences by increasing cultural awareness through a series of educational seminars focusing on modern-day desegregation.
Pink Ticket
Candidates on the pink ticket include; junior nursing major Emily Corona for president, junior biology major Mersed Kremic for vice-president, junior management and administration major Dan Shanley for secretary and sophomore industrial engineering major Sammy Naman for treasurer.
Corona said her decision to run for student body president is inspired by the changes and ideas she wants to bring to Bradley.
“I never saw myself running for a Student Body Officer position until I became involved with Student Senate this year,” said Corona. “For the first time in three years at Bradley, I saw that the students actually have the power to get things done.”
Pink Ticket Goals:
1. Quality food: Improve the functioning and quality of food services.
2. Update the Library: Revise the library to make it more study-friendly and up-to-date.
3. Campus events: To expand the variety and quantity of events on campus for students to attend.
Orange Ticket
Candidates on the orange ticket include; senior international business major Ivan Gonzalez-Gimenez for president, junior business management and administration major Bailey Miller for vice-president, senior mechanical engineering major Andrew Puhr for secretary and senior accounting major Kirsten Verden.
The yellow ticket consists of three current and past members of senate; current senator Verden, former student body treasurer Puhr and Gonzalez- Gimenez who participated on senate last year and ran for student body president last spring.
“A proper leader that will work hard to ensure that their voices are heard is my goal,” Gonzalez-Gimenez said. “I believe this is a crucial time for Bradley University where strong leadership is necessary.”
Orange Ticket Goals:
1. Strengthen Campus: To improve infrastructure of dorms, the library and bring more tables and benches on campus. The yellow ticket would also introduce a bicycle rental service.
2. More participation: Encourage and increase student involvement in senate.
3. Internal improvements: Renovate the way the senate operates to surpass bureaucracy and be more efficient.
Red Ticket
Candidates on the red ticket include; junior public relations major Alan Bukingolts for president, freshman international business major Dashawn Cason for secretary and freshman Rose Wurster for treasurer.
Cason and Wurster are both currently members of student senate, but presidential candidate Bukingolts is new to senate.
“The motivation behind my decision to run for Student Body President came from a teacher that I had in high school that passed away in June of last year,” Bukingolts said. “My teacher was very dedicated to politics and had a deep passion for teaching political science. When he passed away, I tried to think of something that I could do to honor him. When the Student Body Officer petitions were made available I knew that I had to take a chance.”
Red Ticket Goals:
Build a more cohesive student body by:
1. Student Leader Unity: Host a meeting between all types of student group leaders on campus.
2. Campus Events: Organize a school wide event to bring to campus in addition to homecoming events.
Green Ticket
Candidates on the green ticket include; junior psychology major Robbie Erickson for president, junior health science major Clint Boone for vice-president and junior nutrition and wellness major Mike Ryan for treasurer.
All three candidates of the Green ticket are new to senate and will be using flyers and Facebook to campaign, in addition to using their own slogan.
“Our slogan ‘Smarter Steps for a Farther Bradley,’ is definitely unique,” said Erickson. “The goal behind this slogan is to help improve our learning experiences as a students, and take them farther. We only go to college once and we want to make sure everyone gets a better experience. We want to improve school spirit and bring more organizations to campus providing more opportunities for students to get involved and better themselves as leaders.”
Green Ticket Goals:
1. School Spirit: They believe school spirit is not only lacking, but is vital to campus. To increase school spirit they plan to make changes to improve homecoming week.
2. Going Green: To continue the green movement, by adding more recycling bins to campus.
3. Unfinished Business: Continue projects that have not been completed by past executive boards.
Purple Ticket
Candidates on the purple ticket include; junior history and secondary education major Derek Cantu for president, freshman political science and economics major Russell Howland for vice-president, freshman elementary education major Sydney Grubb for secretary and sophomore finance and history major Will Parkhurst for treasurer.
Howland, Parkhurst and Grubb are all new to student body officer elections this year, but for Cantu this is his second time around.
“I ran for Student Body Vice-President in the 2011 election ,” Cantu said. “Of course, I was upset that I had lost, but I still knew it was my responsibility to continue to serve on Student Senate, and I did by becoming the Academic Affairs Chairperson….This is my dream to become Student Body President and I will do everything I can to make my dream a reality.”
Purple Ticket Goals:
1. Academic Advising: To improve the Degree Audit Reporting System to reflect prerequisite and co-requisite information, as well as develop a course “flow charts” for all Bradley colleges and departments.
2. Student Senate Relations: To improve relations with the student body by live feeding general assembly meetings on the Senate website, creating “Fireside Chat” videos with the student body president.
3. Campus Safety: Maintain and strengthen relationships with Chief Brian Joschko and the Bradley University Police Department and to support a proposed resolution that calls for increased emergency poles for off-campus housing.
