The real SMU experience

As part of their application for student body vice-president,candidates have been allowed to write commentaries detailing theirplatforms. Voting will run from Feb. 25 to Feb. 26.

The student body needs someone with real SMU experience to takeon real SMU issues.

For the past two years, I have been honored to serve my studentbody as an organization committee member, a Dedman I senator andthe academic enhancement chair for Student Senate.

In addition to these Senate roles, I have also had the joy ofbeing a Week of Welcome leader, and now a Mustang Corraldirector.

I have been a facilitator for the John Ben Shepperd LeadershipConference, a member of the Leadership Consultant Council emergingleaders committee and sat on the design team with the MaguireCenter for Ethics.

I was the First Year Council treasurer and was the homecomingchair for Senate.

In addition, I am an active member of the greek community andserve as an officer of my sorority.

Also, I am proud member of the Meadows School of the Arts dancedepartment, as well as the political science department.

Real SMU Issues

As a senator, I have worked to bring cultural programming to thecampus, dealt with issues of the academic calendar and SMUidentification cards, and began working with others towardscholarship indexing to meet the rising tuition rates.

As a committee chair, I have worked towards creating a betteracademic environment for SMU through an evaluation of the academicintegrity of our students and encouraging student organizations tobring intellectually engaging programs to campus.

Currently, I am working with others on an Academic Bill ofRights to protect our rights as students in the classroom, as wellas looking at women’s issues such as date rape, sex offendersand overall campus safety.

I would like to take a proactive approach towards diversity andthe retention of our students.

The diversity committee should be commended for its work increating a program called H.O.P.E., which deals with therecruitment of high school students that would not normally look atSMU for their college education.

We should not just be working to get a diverse student body butto make them feel comfortable at their own school, and keep themhere.

Also, the student body needs to be unified. We need not bedivided among the many lines we have made, but come together in acommon goal to make SMU a better place.

I would like to see some new faces as leaders in studentorganizations and motivate everyone to find a place in theuniversity. Along with this comes the overall morale of ourcampus.

We have so much to be proud of, and I think it is time for us tostart supporting our athletic and arts programs to the fullest.There is no reason for an empty auditorium or stadium on any givennight.

I challenge the student body to step out of its shell and attenda program that makes them feel uncomfortable, because until weallow ourselves to support each other and learn from ourdifferences, goals of unity and diversity can not be achieved.

A Real Difference

The issues do not vary between the candidates. Indexingscholarships, meal plans, parking, ID cards, campus safety, campusunity, sprit — they have been a part of elections for years.We all agree that these issues are a problem. But, I offer yousomething different.

As student body vice president I would plan on motivating theStudent Senate, to not just focus on these issues at election time,but to find solutions so that next year when we all campaign again,we hear new issues and we see a real difference.

Katherine Walton is running for student body vice president.She may be reached at [email protected].