Take a look at this feature on each candidate for student body president and their platforms.
Student Body President
Pearson Brown
Houston junior Pearson Brown, junior class senator, is running for student body president this spring.
Brown said he has learned a lot during his time in student government, and is ready to run for student body president on a platform of “Ignite, launch and soar.”
“Ignite deals with helping to make Baylor more affordable,” Brown said. “Launch deals with your time at Baylor. To graduate closer to Christ than you were when you started. The second part of that, of launch, is leadership development. How come not all Baylor seniors know where they’re going this time next year? Every senior should know where they’re going. Working more with the Baylor alumni network and career and professional services, incorporating them more.”
Brown said he would like to bring in more prospective students through tuition changes, more entertainment activities on campus and increased interaction between students, alumni and students to help students enjoy their time at Baylor and succeed once they graduate.
“Bring kids in, build kids up and then send them out into the world,” is Brown’s goal as the next student body president.
Lawren Kinghorn
Katy senior Lawren Kinghorn, student body internal vice president, has been in student government since her freshman year and hopes to become the next student body president.
Kinghorn plans on bringing big changes Baylor’s campus.
“I have four different initiatives on my platform, and the first one revolves around scholarships,” said Kinghorn. “My second initiative revolves around entrepreneurship. The third initiative is a new student union building. My last initiative revolves around McLane Stadium.”
Kinghorn said she wants to give more scholarships to current high-achieving students in addition to improving connections between students and alumni.
Bringing in a new student union building and using McLane Stadium as a concert venue for artists like Taylor Swift are also on Kinghorn’s agenda as student body president.
“The life lessons that I’ve learned in the past three years have really aided me and prepared me to be in this position. I think I have the connections as well as the strength to be able to hold that position.”
James Porter
Frisco sophomore James Porter is pushing for a safer, more connected campus in his campaign to become student body president.
“Be safe, be proud, be connected,” Porter said. “Be safe is an off campus initiative. I don’t think a single one of us can agree that the off campus living infrastructure is really where it should be. It’s not necessarily safe. Be connected is a jobs initiative. Be proud of your organization, be proud of student life and be proud of the fact that you’re a Baylor student.”
Porter said he hopes to move up from his current position as sophomore class senator and work closely with Baylor administration, students and the city of Waco to decrease traffic incidents and have open dialogues.
Porter said he would like to increase interaction between student government and students through student polling and interaction between students and alumni by establishing more mentorships, internships and jobs.
“How I would see the following year progress if I was the student body president is I think there needs to be more so of an open conversation,” Porter said. “I do know and I do hope that next year there is an ability where there will be more conversation between the students and the student body, the students and The Lariat.”
Internal Vice President
Lindsey Bacque
Port Barre, La., sophomore Lindsey Bacque, sophomore senator and public relations committee chair, is running for internal vice president.
“Invest in the youngest members of student government,” Bacque said. “We need growing years, and I’m prepared to do that.”
Bacque said she wants to prepare the younger members to run student government once the upperclassmen leave.
Bacque said she wants to work on relationships within student government to better serve the campus.
“Rebuilding, reforming and revitalizing,” Bacque said. “The first thing we’re going to need to do is rebuild relationships among three branches of student government and with administration of the university. Reform the way senate itself operates. Reform the legislature. Reform the bylaws. The way we carry out processes to make sure that it’s the quickest way, that we have the student’s best interest in mind. And the third thing is revitalizing the drive of student senate and this is really the overarching goal for my year.”
External Vice President
Steven Newcomb
Houston sophomore Steven Newcomb, chief of staff, is running for student body external vice president.
Along with his plans to grow Waco businesses by creating incentives for students get involved in the community, Newcomb wants to repave campus roads and advocate on behalf of the student body.
Newcomb said he hopes to increase Baylor’s connection to the community and areas like Austin and Washington, D.C.
“There are three main initiatives that I’d like to see out,” Newcomb said. “And there’s one that undergirds the entire administration. The first is to create student discounts throughout the city of Waco. The second one is to improve infrastructure surrounding campus, roads are a huge complaint of the Baylor community. The third one is to improve governmental relations. Undergirding all of it is to make sure that everyone is represented.”
