Sophomore Sammy Waken is running for Student Body secretary and hopes to get your vote. Waken sat down for a quick interview about the position he is running for and what he is doing now.

Q: Why did you choose to run for Secretary?

A: I am really just running because I love SMU. I think that all of these platforms and all of the other people running for other positions are really great. I want to be able to be in there, and make sure everything runs smoothly inside senate. That is the secretary’s role, making sure that what they want to do gets translated across all of senate, and really making sure that it is all going to work.

Q: Are you in Senate now? If so, what is your role?

A: Yes, currently, I am a pre-major senator. I was elected by other students who hadn’t declared their major yet around this time last year. I have been in there. You have seen a bunch of the stuff we have been doing, I’m sure. We’ve passed legislation on the scooters around campus. We’re working on the boulevard relocation, and really working on how to maximize that for students. Figure out what they want and how to make it a great experience for them.

Q: What is your platform, and what can you do with this position?

A: Secretary is a lot about making sure everything runs smoothly. I want to make sure every single person in senate is being used where they can most efficiently work, put them in a place where they want to be and be able to do their best, and where their strengths can be maximized. Just seeing, ‘maybe this person is assigned to the athletics committee, but they have a lot of strengths that can be used in the maintenance or utilities committee,’ for example. So really, just being able to know each person and knowing what they are really interested in and passionate about. That is really important.

Elections are now live on SMU Connect. Waken runs unchallenged for the position of student body secretary.