Student Government candidates promote diverse platforms, ideas

Empower U

“The purpose of leadership is not necessarily just to accomplish goals, it is to help other people accomplish their goals. Because when that happens not only do they succeed but you succeed, so it becomes this mutually beneficial experience for all parties.” – Jacob Rudolph, presidential candidate

NEWS_SG Jacob_HM

President: Jacob Rudolph

Year: junior

Major: political science

Minor: music, LGBTQ studies, communication

Experience: College of Arts and Sciences senator in Student Government, P100 tour guide, student director of the LGBTQ Alumni Association

NEWS_SG Austin_HM

Vice president: Austin Eng

Year: sophomore

Major: psychology

Minor: management science, philosophy

Experience: crime prevention assistant (UMPD), student liaison for Healthy ‘Cane Network

Platform Initiatives

Environmental Protection

Create a plan to make the university carbon neutral as soon as possible, stop UM from investing in the oil industry and use leftover food from dining halls to feed the homeless

Health and Wellness

Establish “Task Force to Address Mental Health,” offer free, high-quality tampons in residential housing and improve facilities for the Federation of Club Sports

Voter Turnout

Register all eligible students to vote and cancel classes on voting day

Diversity

Create and integrate a “diversity” cognate into university curriculum, reopen the Women’s Center and hire more black faculty

Campus Life

Create a Rathskeller phone application, offer a 24/7 food option, get better-quality toilet paper and require Otto G. Richter Library to have copies of every mandatory textbook

Transparency

Bridge gap between administration and students, look into financial distribution of tuition and fees and condense all wellness resources into one easy-to-read web page

Academics

Make “A+” grade weighted as 4.3 GPA, create “leadership” minor, increase veteran students’ resources and design a course on “life skills”

Bystander Intervention

Expand ‘Canes Care for Canes and address sexual assault and drug abuse

 

One Team, One U

“We’ve all held different leadership positions and the main thing we’ve learned from those is ‘You’re not the person who’s going to come up with every single idea. You’re not the person who is going to mastermind everything. You need to be able to work with committees, work with people and find what all those different opinions are so you can properly lead and you can properly direct the student body.’” – Jason Goldenberg, presidential candidate

NEWS_SG Jason_HM

President: Jason Goldenberg 

Year: junior

Major: biology

Experience: associate chief justice of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), former judicial chair of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, teaching assistant, peer mentor in the Advanced Program for Integrated Science and Math (PRISM)

NEWS_SG Emi_HM

Vice president: Emmy Savidge 

Year: junior

Major: public health, history

Minor: chemistry

Experience: junior class senator, vice chair for Public Relations Committee on Student Government Senate, Panhellenic Representative to the Association of Greek Letter Organizations

NEWS_SG Andrew_HM

Treasurer: Andrew Weinstock

Year: sophomore

Major: finance

Experience: Commuter Senator, Freshman Leadership Council, treasurer of Hillel

Open-forum Town Hall meetings at the Rock:

Hold forums once or twice a month at 7 p.m. so anyone walking by can voice concerns to members of SG and administrators. The meetings would be heavily publicized and are a major point of their overall platform

Reusable takeout boxes

Students would be able to purchase reusable takeout boxes at dining halls on campus

Shelters at Hurry ‘Cane stops

Add weather shelters at the Hecht Athletic Center and Frost School of Music shuttle stops

Express Hurry ‘Cane Shuttles

Implement express shuttles along the route between Flipse Building and the Cox Science Building

Safe Ride Expansion

Expand Safe Ride, a ride program available to students to get around campus safely at night, until 5 a.m.

Rental Umbrellas

Rent out umbrellas to students at the front desks of campus buildings

Hydration Tents

Set up hydration tents at tailgating areas of Sun Life Stadium to prevent heat exhaustion

 

True to You (http://truetoyoumiami.com)

“We want every student to know we’re here for them individually.” – Vikesh Patel, presidential candidate

NEWS_SG Vikesh_HM

President: Vikesh Patel

Year: junior

Major: biomedical engineering

Minor: business law

Experience: Freshman Leadership Council, UOutreach Committee, Campus Liaison Council Facilities and Security, former treasurer and president of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, co-founder and vice president of Transfer Students Association, Homecoming Executive Committee, Greek Week treasurer, Association of Greek Letter Organizations vice chair, Tunnel of Oppression Build Committee

NEWS_SG Ashley_HM

Vice president: Ashley Pittaluga

Year: junior

Major: marketing, psychology

Experience: project coordinator of Freshman Leadership Council, undergraduate academic affairs representative on UM Board of Trustees, former vice chair and current chair of Homecoming Executive Committee

NEWS_SG Morgan_HM

Treasurer: Morgan Owens

Year: junior

Major: political science, women’s and gender studies

Minor: LGBTQ studies

Experience: former freshperson and current treasurer of SpectrUM, SAFAC, former president and current treasurer of Delta Lambda Phi (international fraternity for gay, bisexual, transgender and progressive men), treasurer for Association of Greek Letter Organizations

SG Gives Back

Make care packages available to students in the student government offices during finals week. Create a program with the Butler Center that would create SG volunteer service days in the community. Improve the approachability of SG for students

Rat Order Board

Add a screen that shows which orders are available to be picked up at the Rathskeller, rather than just announcements over the speakers

Eliminate Miami Shuffle

Increase the frequency of Hurry ’Cane Shuttles and creat more stops, potentially by creating new routes

Flood Control

Lessen the flooding that occurs on pathways due to rain and new construction around campus

Early Syllabi Access

Make past class syllabi available for students during registration so that students are not surprised by requirements after enrolling in a course. Faculty would not need to have their syllabi available, but past syllabi for the course would be.

Correction, Feb. 12: This article did not include Andrew Weinstock’s experience as Commuter Senator and Emmy Savidge’s experience as Panhellenic Representative to the Association of Greek Letter Organizations.