The ballots have been released as the Student Government Association (SGA) prepares itself for the Mar. 6 election, which will form the school’s new Executive Board and officers for each class for the next school year.
With five positions throughout the classes that have already been filled due to lack of a running mate, most races are up in the air, some which may be tightly contested.
The most influential and most notable races are those of the Executive Board. The board presides over the entire school and works towards a better overall experience for the students at Quinnipiac University. Safety, convenience and an overall more enjoyable stay at Quinnipiac are a few goals of students who aim to represent the masses as Executive Board President.
This year’s race features class of 2004 President, Tom Hyde, and class of 2004 representatives, Lori Parks and Melissa Dudra.
Tom Hyde, who has served in SGA since his freshman year, looks to make the final step in the ranks of Student Government. Hyde plans to focus his efforts on making student life at Quinnipiac more fulfilling, and possibly give students reason to stay on campus more of the time.
Hyde looks to represent and address student concerns about the alcohol policy, how money is spent in relation to student programming and hopefully institute events that will possibly, “compete with Thursday nightlife.” With the recent increase in accidents over the past few years at Quinnipiac, providing a safe haven for students to spend time is important.
Lori Parks, another veteran of QU’s Student Government has an extremely positive attitude and simply wants to make Quinnipiac students happy.
She plans on listening carefully to what students have to say about important campus issues and representing the views of others to the best of her ability.
Parks said, “One person can change the world so he or she can definitely change the school.”
Presiding over the entire Student Government is a position that Parks thinks is where she can be the most productive for the QU community.
The third candidate for Executive Board President is Melissa Dudra. Dudra has also served with SGA since she was a freshman and is also involved with many other on campus projects. She is an Orientation Leader, a community advisor and has aided in programs such as “The Art of Kissing.”
According to Dudra, she has “learned a lot” and now has a, “better perspective of the campus” now that she is nearing the end of her sophomore year.
Dudra hopes to work with SGA to develop new programs and possibly try to add more courses for students to choose from now that the school is a university.
Dudra has also proposed the possibility of a SAFE RIDE System that would provide rides for students by other student volunteers so as to cut down on accidents off campus. She stresses that this idea is in its extremely early stages and administration has expressed concerns about liability problems.
Students will be voting for these candidates on March 6 when an “e-lection” will take place. Students will be emailed a pin number and a link where they will be able to vote for their officers without leaving their bedrooms. Information will be available at www.e-lection.com.