2008 Woodie Awards
Two sets of candidates vie for top SGA spots
Hopefuls share platform at Bovee University Center
By: Angie Favot
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: News
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The candidates met for a press conference Tuesday in the Bovee University Center's President's Room to announce their platforms.
Presidential candidate Paul Pridgeon is running alongside Bradley Sjoquist for vice president. In opposition are Andrew Verburg on the presidential ballot and Jamelle Dooley for vice president.
Pridgeon and Sjoquist's platform focuses on giving individual students a voice and proposes direct effect change.
"The heart and soul of our campaign is student engagement," said Sjoquist, a Kingsford junior.
Pridgeon, a Montgomery senior, said each student has individual concerns and needs, and if elected they will act as their voice.
Pridgeon said they plan on continuing SGA's endeavor in lowering textbook prices, raising graduation rates and focusing on academic advising and four-year planning course projections. The pair also emphasized campus safety as a major issue.
"The administration takes concerns from SGA seriously, and the average student doesn't have the capability to talk to administrators," Sjoquist said. "We would bring a strong, professional unified voice."
Verburg, a Grandville senior and Dooley, an Illinois sophomore, both said their platform consists of student cost, campus unity and increase in communication with administrators and students.
"Campus is not a case of you and us, but a case of we," Verburg said.
Verburg encouraged forums for administrators, faculty and students to all meet to speak to one another about issues around campus. He also said Greek Life should be hand in hand with the university and fundraising.
"As student body president you are the voice of all students and I have no problem talking to people," Verburg said.
Dooley said he will focus on diversity if elected because it is something he is personally willing to work at on campus.
"Diversity - that's me. That's who I am. That's what I do," he said.
The presidential debate will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Lake St. Clair and Huron rooms of the UC.
Voting begins midnight March 24 and ends at noon March 28. The results will be announced at 5 p.m. March 28 in Powers 136. Voting takes place at vote.cmich.edu, a secured Web site that requires a CMU global I.D. and password.
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