Two campaigns declare intent to run for SGA president, vice president
Two campaigns for Student Government Association executive candidates were declared at Tuesday’s SGA meeting. Petitions for executive teams and senate candidates are due by 5 p.m. Feb. 4 to SGA’s office, while voting is scheduled for March 4-5 on the myU portal.
Below is a brief Q & A with the declared candidates.
Presidential Candidate #1
Jess Peterson
Year: Junior
Hometown: Brookings, S.D.
Majors: Political Science and Communication Studies
Vice Presidential Candidate
Bill Belch
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Rochester, Minn.
Majors: Mathematics
Question 1: Why did you decide to run for SGA’s executive positions?
Jessica Peterson: I made the decision to run because other people encouraged us. They thought we would be really good, because we are really involved in the school. They know we have the best interests of USD at heart. You see me at the front desk all the time (in the Muenster University Center), running around, and I am involved in a lot of things. I see a lot of the ways that the university can grow and expand. Look at the expansion and how much that has done — the university did a really great job with everything in there. I want to work on the attention given to athletics to theater to academics to building new housing units — I know that is a big concern for students right now, ‘Where am I going to live?’ I want to work on being more involved with the community.”
Bill Belch: I am running with Jess because I love this university. Coming from a big town and looking at big universities, Division-I universities, one thing I wanted to do is make us more like those big (D-I) universities. I want to give everyone that big football game day feel, where 2,000 students are out there cheering the team on.
Question 2: What are some of the elements of your platform?
JP: We want to keep expanding the Coyote Crazies, and with the new basketball arena being built soon, hopefully, we want to keep that tradition going, as well as provide a secure campus for people to grow. We believe that by being a Division-I university, we’ll be able to do that on a safe and secure campus…secure on like being yourself, and being able to express yourself the way you want to. Being able to practice your cultures without judgment being passed upon you. And of course, being safe on campus.
BB: What we kind of want to do is make SGA more available to students. I know we have made a few strides with tabling and trying to reach out a little more, but as one of the senators brought up in the meeting, we really want to go out and help organizations. Once a year, we give them GAF funding fees and say ‘Hey, go out and do great things with it.’ But we want to be able to communicate with those organizations, and to be using our social media page to say ‘This organization has something going on tonight, you should try to get out and support them.’
Question 3: If you had to prioritize the reforms that need to happen in SGA, what would they be?
JP: The biggest reform that needs to happen with SGA is definitely the outreach to students. I know (SGA) represents a good population of the students, but we don’t always get to hear those students who don’t come to our meetings every week. We don’t always take the time to sit down and talk to them.
———————–
Presidential candidate #2
Tyler Tordsen
Year: Senior
Hometown: Rapid City, S.D.
Major: Political Science and Economics
Vice Presidential Candidate: Dustin Santjer
Year: First-year
Hometown: Aberdeen, S.D.
Major: Political Science and Finance
Question 1: Why did you decide to run for SGA’s executive positions?
Tyler Tordsen: After thoughtful consideration and knowing I won’t graduate in May, I thought, ‘I can help create change where it is needed.’ We want to help students’ voices be heard.
Question 2: What are some of the elements of your platform?
- Reconnect SGA to the student body and local community
- Rekindle the Coyote mentality
- Revamp SGA to create more internal efficiency
Question 3: If you had to prioritize the reforms that need to happen in SGA, what would they be?
- Revamp interior efficiency
- Help meetings run smoothly
- Have executive branch work with committees
- Tyler, having been a president for numerous student organizations, can see room for improvement and would like to assist more with budgets
