By The Editorial Board
As student government elections begin today and last through tomorrow, The Baylor Lariat Editorial Board is endorsing Hunter Walker for student body president. This decision was made after candidates participated in debates hosted by The Baylor Lariat on Saturday.
The Lariat is pleased to endorse Austin junior Hunter Walker for the position of student body president for the upcoming school year. After a fantastic debate with tough competitor Little Elm junior Dalton Capps, the Editorial Board was impressed with Walker’s commitment to student government and his clearly outlined platform.
Walker’s platform, Walk With Walker, is made up of four components outlined by the acronym T-A-L-K: transparency, advocacy, learning and keeping our momentum. During the debate, he discussed action plans that go along with each of these, including advocating for a mental health day off of school in the fall, a dining dollar donation system to fight food insecurity on campus, extending OALA shuttles to run until the end of all scheduled classes, promoting further diversity, equity and inclusion training for organization leaders and more. To read all about his platform, visit his social media page.
In addition to his clear goals for the upcoming year, Walker has proven himself to be a successful leader and someone who works hard to take initiative. He has served in Student Senate the past two years and has worked with the campus improvements and affairs committee, as well as the operations and improvements committee. He was a delegate at the Big 12 on the Hill Conference and is the current chaplain of student government. He is also involved in the Phi Kappa Chi fraternity and the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
His accomplishments alone speak to his ability to serve as student body president, but on top of that, he has a clear passion in caring for the Baylor community in all he does. Last year, he ran for external vice president, and even though he didn’t win the election, he remained committed to his role in student government and worked to improve his campaign for this election, and it shows. His campaign covers more areas than any other candidate’s, and each issue he plans to address has a specific solution already laid out. It’s evident that if chosen, he would be readily available through office hours to meet with anyone who wanted to talk about issues or concerns facing the Baylor community.
During the debate, the Editorial Board witnessed how both Walker and Capps were more than qualified to fill this position, making choosing a candidate to endorse a tough decision. The two opponents are good friends and participated in the debate with humility, grace and positive attitudes that will undoubtedly carry on into their senior years. Even though the ultimate decision went to Walker, the Editorial Board commends Capps for putting up a strong campaign and thanks him for participating in the debate.
Walker’s extensive involvement in student government and thorough campaign are what pushed him over the edge, and the Editorial Board is confident that if elected, Walker will follow through on his promises and serve the student body extremely well. We know that he can ‘talk the T-A-L-K,’ and we believe Baylor will benefit most by ‘Walking with Walker.’
Voting Information:
The Editorial board appreciates all of the candidates participating in the debate and wishes them the best of luck in the election. All undergraduate students will receive an email allowing them to vote in the student government elections on April 26 and 27. To learn more about each candidate, watch the debates hosted by The Baylor Lariat on our Youtube channel. Happy voting!
