Candidates for student body president touted their platforms and campaign promises to students at a forum Monday evening.
The forum, sponsored by the Residence Hall Association and held in the Sbisa quiet room, gave candidates campaigning for student body president, yell leader and class council positions the opportunity to introduce themselves to the student body.
However, most of the students present were campaign volunteers sporting their candidate’s garb.
Karl Pfluger, a senior political science major, said he is running for student body president because he wants “to give back to the school that has given (him) so many incredible opportunities.” Having had A&M students in his family since 1920, Pfluger said he is “proud of the present, and focused on the future.”
Luke Cheatham, a senior civil engineering major, has lived on campus for three years and is presently a resident adviser in Walton Hall.
Cheatham said he would be a tireless advocate for students.
“I know what you guys want, but I know what our problems are too,” Cheatham said.
Stoney Burke, a senior international studies major, said his campaign focuses on what it means to be an Aggie, what it means to be a student and what it means to be a part of the community. If elected, Burke said, he plans to implement cheaper and more convenient parking for students and healthier dining options on campus.
Kyle Carlton, a junior business finance major, said his campaign is about service and family, and he wants to avoid focusing on power. A key element of Carlton’s platform is a campus calendar that would display the events of all student organizations on campus. This calendar would include a column in which the student body president and the MSC council president can voice their opinions.
Ed “El Ramos” Brown, a senior economics major, highlighted his outsider status, blasting student government leaders for being more interested in resume padding than in representing students. A future U.S. Marine, Brown said he is not concerned about references and resumes, promising to be “a student that wants to listen to the Ags here.”
The sixth SBP candidate, Matt Josefy, a senior accounting major, arrived late to the forum.
In an interview with the Battalion editorial board, Josefy said his campaign theme, “your voice matters” underscored the importance of communication between students and student leaders, and proposed a weekly electronic newsletter and forums where student leaders can listen to students’ concerns.
Crystal Y’Barbo, a freshman business major said the SBP candidates presented themselves well.
“The problem with elections is that people sometimes put on a front, but overall they did a pretty good job,” she said. “They came across as real as they could in a short amount of time.”
Candidates must focus on realistic goals, and work on dealing with communications skills, Y’Barbo said.
Students can question the SBP and yell leader candidates at an open forum today in the MSC Flagroom from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.