By Grannt Epstein
Collegian Staff Writer, Secretary
Four student leaders are vying for the two top spots in Student Government for the 2023-24 school year. Justin Rose, the speaker of the Student Senate, is running for president. His running mate is Christina Charley, secretary of the Black Student Union. They are running against Lucas Will and Tanner Schultz, who both joined SG during their freshman year in 2021 and hope to be elected president and vice president, respectively. Will is SG’s Recording Secretary and Schultz is SG’s Campus Culture Chair.
Will-Schultz wants to build a stronger relationship between Student Government, minority organizations, and the University administration. They are proposing monthly meetings between SG and minority organizations, so concerns can then be relayed to the administration.
Rose-Charley would like to increase student retention by creating spaces where people can be active on campus. They aim to “increase student involvement and create a livelier campus where people want to spend their free time.” Charley, a Resident Advisor at Parks Tower, said younger students have energy that isn’t currently being tapped into. “Freshmen at Parks want to be hands-on. They want to be forced out of their comfort zone,” she added.
The duo is also proposing a new, less expensive parking permit valid only on the outskirts of campus. The idea is to encourage the budget-conscious student to park further out and utilize the UT shuttle buses.
Parking is also a plank in the Will-Schultz platform, with the ticket advocating for students to be given “a larger voice in parking issues on campus.” They want to see a student serving on the ticket appeals committee. Will pushed last year’s referendum for free menstrual products in campus bathrooms and Schultz helped create the Sustainability Committee within Student Government.
Another focus of their campaign is the “We are a Rocket” initiative, a strategy to build a stronger sense of community. They want to “be the change that implements a better sense of community involvement and engagement.”
“So many things are possible, and we want to be the ones that make it happen,” Will said. “We are loud and make our presence known. We want to advocate for the quiet person.” Will is a Spanish and Economics major, while Schultz is a Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience and Pre-med.
Another plank in the Rose-Charley platform is excused mental health days for students. They would like to see them included in every syllabus. “We want to work the CASE Center which already has a touchpoint system for students” Rose said. The program would use the CASE Center to reach out to the students and work with professors as the filter for mental health days.
“I hear the complaints [from the students] but no one implements those changes. I want to make a campus where I can find solutions to those problems,” Rose said. Rose is a Psychology major with a minor in Counseling. He also serves on SG’s Dining Committee, which works with Auxiliary Services. Charley is a Nursing student and is also involved with the Black and Latino Excellence Mentorship Program. “Not too many people who look like me are [SG Vice President],” Charley said. “I want to make sure the students are heard.”
Voting is open April 3 through 8 on Invonet. For more info on all the candidates visit their Instagram pages at @justinandchristina4change and @lucasandtanner4ut
