By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
Freshmen candidates running for the 13 open seats in their class’s senate will soon be hitting the campaign trails around campus.
Pflugerville junior and Internal Vice President Landon Self said the senate selection process takes place during the first half of the fall.
“We first have to meet as a student government body to select the electoral commissioner before we can lay out the schedule for Fall elections,” Self said. “After this is completed, we can hold an interest meeting for potential candidates, giving them the information they need to file and run for office before they campaign.”
Self said freshman candidates often campaign on issues that are relatable or pressing to the student body.
“Throughout my three years at student government, I have seen freshman candidates campaign on the quality of dining hall food and the lack of parking options on campus,” Self said. “There have also been multitude of actions student senators have taken once elected to office their freshman year, like a few years ago when they got more charging outlets in the SUB or projects for how to increase school spirit at different on-campus events.”
One initiative that Student Body President and Aurora, Co., senior Lily Davis said she was most proud be a part of while serving as a senator her sophomore year was diversifying funding on campus for student organizations.
“In the senate, we often work with different clubs and organizations on campus for funding their events, whether this be chess club, quidditch club or Greek life,” Davis said. “For my sophomore year, however, I was able to provide the monetary needs necessary for the Hawaiian Club to host its first Luau on campus after voting on a bill about reallocating funds for diversity efforts.”
Given the upcoming general election in the United States, Self said now is the time that students can learn about the importance of voting on a smaller scale at school, so that their voice can be heard both on campus as well as at the local, state and federal levels.
That said, when it comes time to for freshmen to elect the representatives they believe will most accurately reflect their demands, Self said it is important to remember civil discourse etiquette when considering their peers who might have different opinions. It’s about who is best to fill the position, Self said.
“This idea of civil discourse means that you can respect another student’s valid opinion, even if it differs from your own,” Self said. “It is understandable that individuals running will also have disagreements with one another and promote different policies because that is the nature of politics.”
Davis said that students should put themselves out there when running for office.
“I know it is incredibly intimidating to run a campaign at such a large scale for the first time during the first semester of your freshman year,” Davis said. “But all you need is the courage to go out and do it.”