Good leadership is needed to be the driving force behind the student body of Prairie View A&M University. Four students have a blueprint to lay the solid foundation for an improved Student Government but only one can have the position. Who will be the strongest link? Meet your 2005 candidates for the Student Government Association.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Terrance Livingston
Junior, Political Science
Livingston seeks to change how business is conducted at Prairie View and wants to work with the administration to ensure that the needs of the student body are being met. Other items on his platform include:
– Creating strict regulations on SGA monetary issues to ensure that the use of allocated funds are economically appropriate; – Improve the relationship between the students and the university administration of PVAMU, to ensure proper communication of problems and university business between the two entities,
– To make the Student Government serve as the official lobbyist for the student body;
– Work to improve the relationship of the SGA with students by utilizing available resources to communicate with students;
– Ensure that all approved spending in SGA is spent on necessary and proper items, which would eliminate inappropriate use of SGA funds.
Oludayo Olusanya
Sophomore, Biology
“I should be elected President because I will respond to the needs of the students and do whatever is required to ensure that the interests and benefits of the students are of the utmost priority in all decision making processes,” said Olusanya. If elected, Olusanya’s agenda proposes the following:
– Instituting an atmosphere of positive attitude on campus. Establishing an environment where the administration, faculty, and staff’s main goal is to ensure us students an edifying and enlightening college experience.
– When installed in office, I will not sign off on any fee increase unless I am absolutely confident that the fee is necessary for the benefit of the students.
– With the increase in designated tuition being used to fund merit salary increase and hiring of new faculty.
– Prairie View students make up a large proportion of the customers being served by the Prairie View business community. As SGA President, I will demand that businesses serving Prairie View students offer percentage discounts to Prairie View A&M students or else we students will take our businesses elsewhere.
– As the student body president, I will address the Prairie View City Council and demand incentives be created for Prairie View’s students so that they may become homeowners. – I will also demand that the city improve the poor conditions in the homes in which our students have to reside.
– To bring improvement to the Student Government Association, when in office, I will allow external audits of SGA accounts for the first time ever.
– As president of the SGA, I will make sure that strict financial budgeting is enforced as well as fair funding for all organizations.
LaShawn Chambers-Reggans
Junior, Civil Engineering
Reggans is demanding that the student body take a stand on issues that affect them. ” We can no longer be complacent,” states Reggans. ” We can no longer stand still and look the other way while changes are being made that directly affect us.” Some issues of concern on Reggans ‘agenda include customer service given by university employees, student leadership service, parking, safety, and housing.
Bryan Waters
Junior, Architecture
Waters is seeking to improve the student body through student empowerment. “The pride and camaraderie among students on campus has steadily decreased,” said Waters. “Students don’t feel pride for Prairie View because they are not aware of the things going on on campus, they don’t feel a part of the university.”
Waters seeks to implement the following programs if elected:
– Starting a community outreach program where Pan-Hellenic, CSO, and students can all be involved by serving residents of Waller County
– Set up a Web site where students can post concerns and views about PVAMU and activities on campus
– Establish a communal spot on campus where students can come together and fellowship
VICE- PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Courtney Smith
Senior, Political Science
“S.W.A.T.- Success With Attaining Trust” is the goal of Smith, who has been a member of SGA for the past three years. Smith said, “The outcome of my platform will be ultimately trust. In recent years, the overall level of trust of the faculty, staff, and students level has been limited.” Smith’s platform consists of:
– Boosting student morale through social events such as lecture series, town hall meetings, tent and block parties
– Mobilizing students to get more involved in campus activities and to join student organizations by hosting programs and informational sessions that would meet the needs and hear concerns of all students.
– Implementation Project UNITY, a program where all students can come together and voice their opinions on issues on campus, community, and the world. Project UNITY would be a way to unify all students to come together and create ideas and programs to bring unity among students on campus.
LaQuincy Arnold
Sophomore, Business Management
Arnold is working under the agenda of “R.E.A.L Potential to Unionize, Organize, and Mobilize the student body! “
– REAL is an acronym for Building RELATIONSHIPS, EQUIPPING our Teams, Adjusting our ATTITUDES, and Practicing LEADERSHIP.
– Arnold wants to promote campus pride and unity, and in the process let everyone have a part in it.
“I plan to bridge the gap between the Alumni and the students of Prairie View, many times the importance of students having mentors are over-looked. It’s not about what you know, but who you know,” states Arnold.