SAMANTHA BLONS
Assistant News Editor
The Student Government Association (SGA) executive board members have been busy this summer developing their vision for a more visible and approachable SGA.
Student voters elected seniors Andy Canales, Clint Harp, and Austin Maness, and junior Susan Doe to the executive board in the spring. All four served on the 2006-2007 SGA, whose achievements include procuring card-operated laundry machines and financing LCD screens that will soon be installed around campus.
These four student leaders sat down with the Graphic to talk about how they’ve been working off of past successes and planning this year’s initiatives.
SGA President – Andy Canales
Canales has served in SGA as both a freshman and a junior class senator. He is also involved with the Latino Student Organization, Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, Jumpstart, the Pepperdine Ambassadors Council and Project Serve.
What are your goals for SGA this year?
Our overarching goals are to increase the visibility of SGA officials; to increase the connection between the students and SGA; to continue serving as a forum for the concerns, advocacy, and solutions to student issues; and to continue serving as a common link between the students and the administration. Basically, we want to be visible and connected to students, so that they’ll be comfortable coming to us with concerns and so that we’ll be better able to represent them to the administration.
What can students look forward to this year from SGA?
We’re planning to revamp the freedom wall with political and social justice issues that we think should be on the minds of students. We’re planning to sponsor debates with student leaders who can exchange ideas that are confronting our generation, like the war in Iraq, the environment, the cost of college, poverty; things that are really on the forefront on the national level.
Another big issue we’ll be working on is proposing change to Wednesday convocation. We are going to work on seeing how we can contribute to quality convocation programs.
SGA is also going to get more involved in choosing students that sit on the judicial committee.
If instead of Andy Canales, you were University President Andy K. Benton for a day, what would you do?
If I [were] President Benton, I would make Doug Hurley take that cap off. [Laughs.]
Executive Vice President – Clint Harp
Harp was an off-campus senator last semester, is captain of the men’s lacrosse team, a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity and a student manager for outdoor recreation.
What is your role on the executive board?
Basically, if Andy is assassinated, I take over for him. [Laughs.] But seriously, I do a lot of planning for SGA, like planning retreats, booking rooms, and a lot of events. I’m also in charge of elections.
What are your goals for this year?
I really want to see students recognize who we are. I really want them to know we’re here for them, and to know when they see one of us, they can talk to us.
What are your thoughts on the role of SGA at this school?
I see SGA as the link between [the administration and the students.] I want us to be the link to let the students know what the administration is thinking, and the administration know what the students want. I think it’s important to have that, because there is a lot of miscommunication there.
Vice President of Administration – Austin Maness
Maness has been a Spiritual Life Adviser, an SGA senator, a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and currently holds two fellowships, for the Interfaith Youth Corps and for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
What does your job entail?
As Vice President of Administration, basically I do a lot of the nuts and bolts work. I’m the guy who draws up the schedule before SGA meetings. Concerning the resolutions we do get passed, I’m the one e-mailing and talking to J.B. [Brock] at housing or whoever about this new policy.
What are your goals for this year?
I’m really interested in raising the political and academic level of thought on this campus. I’m going to be working to bring speakers on campus like we did last year, and sponsoring debates.
What do you want students to know about SGA and about what you do?
I think students should know that as far as administrative policies go, we’re basically their best friends. We’re here to support their initiatives, advocate their concerns to the administration, and to be their voice on administrative councils.
Vice President of Finance – Susan Doe
Doe is the only junior and the only woman on the executive board. She was a freshman senator, served as SGA business relations director last year and is a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.
What is your role on the SGA Executive Board?
I am in charge of all the funds we have. I make the budget and allocate the money. I present the budget to the entire Senate and we vote on it.
What are your personal goals for SGA?
I guess it’s part of the entire E-Board’s goal to bridge the gap between the administration and students: to not only voice the opinions of students, but also voice the opinions of the administration back to the students.
Do you think you could face unique challenges, since you are both the only woman and the youngest member of the E-Board?
I don’t see any challenges. Being the youngest, I can learn a lot, and also if I do SGA next year I can bring that experience. It’s also nice being the only girl, because these three guys treat me very nicely. They open the doors, and I always get the front seat when we drive anywhere. [Laughs.] They’re gentlemen.
On that note, are you planning on running for SGA next year too?
Yes, I’ll probably pursue a position on the E-Board again.
08-27-2007