SGA presidential candidates announce their platforms
Posted on October 1, 2007
With Brandon Eickel out of office, the race for the new Student Government Association President has begun.
SGA elections kicked off last Wednesday, when seniors Ilk Ghavami and Lee Brooks turned in their applications along with 200 student signatures. With the OK from the election’s committee, both candidates were given one week to campaign, and student elections will be held Thursday. Students can vote online from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at sga.jmu.edu/voting. All students need to vote is their JAC card number.
Ghavami has been active in the SGA since he was offered the position of senator of math and science last semester. In addition to his work in the SGA, he has worked with the Earth Club and is currently a conductor for the Neo Underground Railroad Connectors.
His platform is an extenuation of the one he used last year against Eickel.
“I’m so excited,” Ghavami said. “They say that opportunity only knocks once, but in this case it knocked twice.”
As the environment is one of the main focuses of his campaign, he plans to reintroduce the Green Bill and work with President Rose, the Clean Energy Coalition and the Earth club to assure that JMU keeps green. He also said that he hopes to initiate a bulb exchange program, create a community bike program and revitalize the campus’ recycling agenda.
“I feel like the environmental issue has taken on a very activist perspective and there comes a point in time when you can’t neglect the issue,” Ghavami said. “You feel for these things. And if you feel for these things you have to do something about it.”
Campus safety is another issue high on Ghavami’s list of objectives. He hopes to increase the number of blue lights around campus in an effort to alleviate threats around the JMU community and place campus cadets or police at major crosswalks, such as the ISAT overpass, as well the area where construction on the tunnel crosses South Main St. He also hopes to help reduce drunk driving by working with the Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation to re-route buses to include Tuesdays at the Pub and Thursdays at Rocktown.
In addition to his environmental and safety measures, Ghavami wants to start a program that will bring organizations and clubs together and increase communication by establishing a talk show on WXJM hosted by the SGA president, executive council members and members of the Board of Visitors.
Ghavami’s final proposal is an amendment of the Honor Code to hold all students, school officials and JMU affiliates accountable for maintaining the integrity and honor of JMU.
“I think Ilk’s platform is more proactive,” junior Madison Robinson said. “He’s taking bigger steps to make changes rather than smaller ones. After what happened with Eickel we need a strong government and a solid election.”
Senior Lee Brooks has served in the SGA for the past four years, acting as speaker of the student senate and vice president of administrative affairs. As vice president he has expanded the Take Your Professor to Lunch program and initiated a program to coincide with the Centennial to bring in speakers to talk about the history of the university.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a really competitive election, which is what I think the student body needs.”
Brooks’ biggest plan for this year includes working with administration for funding a student-published pamphlet called “So you think this is a party school: 50 things to do at JMU besides drinking and partying,” available to prospective students and their families.
“My hope is that because this would be completely student written and produced, it would speak volumes about the character and priorities of actual students here to dispel stereotypes about JMU,” Brooks said.
In addition to the pamphlet, Brooks hopes to put the JMU Ride Board that stands inside of Warren online to make it easier for students to use. He has also spoke to the manager of the university bookstore about possibly holding a student T-shirt contest. If the idea goes through, the winning shirt might be sold at the bookstore.
Brooks’ final platform promise is to work with student organizations to make the Centennial year the best it could be by planning class unity events and programs. He plans to be available and present at more campus events held by other organization and to increase the circulation of the SGA newsletter.
“[Brooks] is kind of creative,” junior Kyle Oehmke, said. “The whole idea with the T-shirt campaign will get students involved.”
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