With the voting cycle for Spring Hill College’s 2019 Student Government Association (SGA) Elections underway, presidential and vice presidential candidates have begun preparing for the upcoming election. The SGA holds this election every year to determine a new administration that will serve the students of SHC. Although these administrations are running for the same positions, both have very unique ideas and campaign platforms that set them apart from each other.
Voting will be held today (Thursday, Feb. 28). Students will receive a survey monkey in their email where they will be able to cast their vote.
Juniors Nora Brooks and Cade Dernlan are competing for the office of president of SGA. Running alongside Brooks for the role of vice president is junior Maria Mengis. Dernlan’s vice presidential candidate is fellow junior Griffin Morgan.
Brooks and Mengis are present members of the SGA presidential cabinet. “Our platform is centered around three words: experience, progress, and passion,” said Mengis. “We both currently hold cabinet positions, so we are super aware of our sphere of influence as students and where we have the best chance of making a positive impact in our administration. However, we’re not letting our past experience hold us back. We’re very open-minded to future progress and won’t just be doing the same things SGA has always done in the past.”
Along with their mission, Brooks and Mengis also have many initiatives they want to put in place, including a Diversity Advisory Board, which has been a work in progress since their freshman year, and programs that lead to an increased sense of school spirit on campus.
Dernlan and Morgan bring to the elections a set of experiences outside of SGA involvement.
“During my time at Spring Hill, I have been blessed with many opportunities that have allowed me to become involved in a myriad of organizations across campus,” Dernlan said. “These experiences have introduced me to so many people – all of whom I love and respect greatly. Seeing the campus from so many different angles has given me a deep understanding of what Spring Hill is all about and what it means to be a Badger.”
Some of the Dernlan-Morgan campaign's special initiatives include a reformed discrimination investigation policy, a new work order policy and a freshman mentoring program.
Emilee Adams, the attorney general for the SGA, has been responsible for setting the elections timeline, clearing candidates to run for office and enforcing the Elections Code throughout the 2019 voting cycle. Presidential and vice presidential debates were held earlier this week.