SGA preps for elections, international senators

The Student Government Association is preparing for its executive board elections, which will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Running unopposed for SGA president is Heath Barton; running unopposed for vice president of campus activities is Patrick Rodgers; Jorge Solis and Max Herman are running for vice president for legislative affairs; Caitlin Smith and Shelby Scott are running for secretary; Shelby Miller, Khadidah Stone and Olivia Melton are running for clerk.

All information about the candidates, including their platforms and biographies, can be found on the SGA website.

The election will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Trojan Center Room 215. Students must have their student IDs to vote.

Ryan Cole, a junior political science major from Athens and SGA clerk, said that the candidates will have a televised debate before the elections, probably in

the beginning of next week.

“It is the highest kind of elections we have, besides homecoming, because these are the five faces that will represent the SGA in the next year,” Cole said. “I definitely think it is important for everybody to come out and vote. I encourage everybody to make an informed decision.”

SGA passed an amendment that would create one mandatory seat for an international student in SGA.

Jonathan Lockwood, an international relations graduate student from Redding, California, and an SGA senator, said that adding an international seat to the senate would make sure that SGA was truly representing all of the student body.

“Right now our student body consists of about 5,500 to 6,000 students, and about 717 students are internationals,” Lockwood said. “So, I think it is necessary for the SGA to have a mandatory seat for that percentage of students.”