With the fall semester nearing its end, Plattsburgh State students will be able to determine all Student Association positions from president to senator during the annual online election Nov. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Running for SA president for the Spring 2015 to Fall 2015 term includes current Senator for Student Services Lateef Wearrien, current Executive Vice President Kevin Clayton and Joseph Nagiub, who served as vice president for finance during the previous legislation under former President Vanessa Cappon.
After being elected as this legislation’s president last November, senior Priscilla Burke said she wanted to use her position to increase awareness of the SA and enhance student involvement in sponsored activities.
“I want the next legislation to work together to give the Student Association back the life it has lost and
to make every student…to actually feel like they are a part of the Student Association,” Burke said.
All three candidates have expressed agreement in Burke’s statement during their own campaigning this year.
Nagiub, who during his time as vice president for finance created and managed the SA budget and developed the procurement card system implemented for all PSUC clubs, said it will be important to change the culture of the SA.
“If elected, I plan to improve our relations, communication efforts with clubs and organizations and the college as a whole.,” Nagiub said. “This includes personally reaching out to students and see what they actually want and how we can work together to achieve it.”
A year can make a lot of difference, however, and as she reflected as her time as president, Burke said she wanted every candidate to understand it is more difficult to get students involved than they might expect.
“I love that they have that in mind because that’s what the Student Association definitely needs, but I just need them to be as realistic with themselves that it’s not as easy as it may seem,” she said.
In order to spread awareness about the upcoming election, the SA hosted two Meet the Candidates events Monday and Thursday in the Angell College Center to introduce the candidates to the student body.
Monday’s event presented nearly half of the students running for Senate positions, while Thursday night’s event focused on the executive positions, including the three presidential candidates.
PSUC Vice President for Student Affairs Bryan Hartman said he tries to make these events every year to show his support to the students and hear what they have to say.
“I think they all have some great ideas and obviously have put some thought into why they want to do this,” Hartman said.
Also running in the election is Sapoon Dutta for executive vice president. Dutta is unopposed.
The speaker of the Senate will be chosen after the election out of all of the newly elected senators.
On Tuesday, students are advised to check their PSUC emails for the link to the online voting system to cast their ballots.
Email Maggie McVey at news@cardinalpointsonline.com.
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