Texas A&M student body president and yell leader candidates took an opportunity to expand on their platforms and answer questions at a forum Wednesday in the Memorial Student Center Flagroom.
Stoney Burke, a senior international studies major, said if elected SBP, he would work “to contribute to the Aggie community and elevate the Aggie community well past the 2003-04 school year.”
Burke said A&M should be a community of safety and respect and suggested the use of message boards on the Student Government Association Web site to increase student feedback on issues.
Kyle Carlton, a junior business finance major, said his campaign is focused on two things: service and family. He said he wants to build on the idea of teamwork because “while a team works together, a family cares for one another.”
Carlton said his commitment to service and his experience as chairman of the Student Senate external affairs committee distinguishes him from other candidates.
Karl Pfluger, a senior political science major, said he is focused on the future of Texas A&M and wants to give back to the school that has given him so many opportunities.
When questioned about diversity, Pfluger said the University has a duty to create a campus that resembles the workforce demographic to prepare students for life after A&M.
Luke Cheatham, a senior civil engineering major, said he is a different candidate who is not a part of the Student Government Association. Cheatham said he would work as an advocate for students if elected.
Citing his involvement in the Unity Project off-campus bonfire, Cheatham said he is willing to stand up to administrators to represent students.
Ed “El Ramos” Brown, a senior economics major, said that if elected, he would strive to bridge the communication gap between student leaders and students.
Brown said the University has an “awkward view of what we need to do to achieve diversity,” and said true diversity is not about packing numbers but about finding minority students who want to be Aggies.
Matt Josefy, a junior accounting major, said the voice of the student body matters and that he is focusing on “relational campaigning.”
In response to a question concerning the relationship between student leaders and The Battalion, Josefy said it is the leaders’ job to work with the paper and not criticize the staff, because they are fellow Aggies.