The Daily Campus contacted Senate candidates Saturday morning with a questionnaire, asking for a response by Sunday evening. Below is a compilation of answers The Daily Campus received:
Monica Finnegan
Finnegan, a rising sophomore, was instrumental in passing legislation that extended the deadline for add/drop date by a week. If elected, she hopes to continue her work on add/drop date legislation as it makes its way to Faculty Senate and the Provost’s Office. She also wants to increase attendance at football games and continue to improve campus life.
On the issue of an LGBT Senate position, Finnegan believes that a special interest seat might not solve the problem. “The student senate has a ‘diversity chair’ that specifically addresses the needs of those students who feel underrepresented,” the Dedman I Senate candidate said.
Devin Kerns
Kerns, a Dedman I Senate candidate, wants to improve communication between the student body, administrators and Senate. She intends to improve campus life by focusing on student grievances and believes that the online enrollment process at SMU needs to be fixed.
The Dedman student disagrees with not only a special LGBT position but also all special interest positions. Kerns stresses her experience as the main reason why she should be reelected. “I already have one year of experience under my belt, and I am a hard worker and firm believer that in order to get something done right, you have to do it yourself,” he said.
John Mahaffey
Mahaffey, a current first year, wants to improve school spirit at SMU by increasing attendance at football games, especially through the aid of the Greek community. He also intends to improve campus life by increasing weekend food locations on campus and outdoor study areas.
The rising sophomore is vehemently against the creation of an LGBT Senate position. “Senate is already filled with too many seats causing inefficiency in every way. If we were to add a LGBT position, we might as well add one for every organization on campus,” he said.
Lila Friedlander
Friedlander, a Dedman I Senate candidate, wants to increase the number of vegan options at RFoC and Mac’s Place. As a lifelong vegan, she hopes to promote healthy, vegetarian options on campus. She also believes that academics are the most important part of a university and that the university’s social scene and campus life “are really just extras.”
She agrees with the creation of a LGBT Senate position. “We have a Hispanic-American, Asian-American, African-American, and international seat on senate. It only makes sense to also have a seat representing the LGBT community,” Friedlander said.
David Lee
Lee, a Lyle Senate candidate, wants to increase student involvement on campus by enabling conversation between student represenatives and their constituencies. He also hopes to improve school spirit by offering incentives for football game attendance.
Lee has plans to decide the debate over a LGBT Senate position by public referendum. “Since the role of any Student Senator is to represent the Student Body, I think that the issue of adding an LGBT position should come down to a student vote,” he said.
Preston Hutcherson
Hutcherson, a Dedman I Senate candidate, wants to increase student involvement and administrative accountability on campus. He believes it is crucial for a school like SMU – with its high tuition rates – to improve its operational efficiency. He also intends to make pragmatic changes on campus – changing the location of Night at the Club to a less crowded location, increasing the number of late night food options on campus, etc.
While the rising sophomore agrees with the reasoning behind the push for an LGBT Senate position, he disagrees with its projected results. “I believe that the addition of a designated LGBT seat in Student Senate would not be a true solution to the problem of underrepresented students and would ultimately prove more divisive than helpful,” he said.
Jaywin Singh Malhi
Mahli, a rising junior, wants to bridge the gap between MBA and BBA students at SMU. He also believes that students should continue to take advantage of academic opportunities like Engaged Learning and the Hamilton Research Program.
Malhi, like most of the other Senate candidates, disagrees with the creation of an LGBT Senate position. However, his solution to the issue of special interest representation is unique. “I propose that a wrinkle be added to the current Student Senate system. I would like to see special-interest caucuses formed by Student Senators (much like is done in the US Congress) in which Senators meet regularly (weekly, monthly, or bi-semesterly) to discuss issues concerning the special-interest group and address these issues through legislation.”
Nikki Ruh
Ruh, a candidate for a Cox Senate position, wants to increase student attendance at sporting events by offering incentives and improving marketing across campus. She also hopes to introduce first year students to majors and admission requirements at the Cox School of Business. The rising sophomore did not comment on her stance on an LGBT Senate position.
Ruh believes that SMU’s diversity makes it a great university. “What makes SMU so great is its unique combination of many things: a diverse campus life mixed with interesting research and top-notch academics, proudly balanced by a seemingly infinite number of social events,” Ruh said.
Samuel Martinez
Martinez, a candidate for the Graduate Liasion Officer Senate position, wants to increase the role of graduate students on campus by encouraging them to attend footb
all games and by allowing them to partake in other University traditions.
He agrees with the creation of an LBGT Senate position as a first step to increasing LGBT representation on campus. He has experience in dealing with different campus entities on this issue. “I have been a key figure in the Senate on this issue, in communicating with University officials, the Women’s Center, and students. Given the hurdles we face on this issue, the Senate has to do more than simply pass legislation,” he said.
