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Friday, January 31, 2025

SGA Candidates Feel Prepared to Take on Desired Positions

As the end of the academic year approaches, seniors prepare to graduate, other students move on and organizations look for strong candidates to fill the departing students' roles. The Student Government Association (SGA) encourages Longwood University students to choose senators for the 2012-2013 school year through campus-wide elections via Blackboard, which began on Monday and will take place through Friday, April 13.

As the majority of the SGA Executive Board will not re-run for their positions due to graduation or other commitments, the elected executive senators will be new to the roles of president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. There are currently no candidates for historian.

Junior Donald Knight, who triple majors in criminology, sociology and political science, is running unopposed for president. Knight, who currently serves as Executive Senator, has held several positions during his four semesters with the SGA, including senator, chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee and Judicial Board Justice.

Knight believes in "being the voice of the students." He feels he is aware of the issues that affect his fellow students due to his involvement in SGA and Judicial Board, as well as his time as a Resident Assistant. "I believe utilizing all of these experiences would allow me to be an effective president and be able to effectively make sure I tackle all of the issues," he said.

Knight said he is a "compassionate leader" and wants to make sure the SGA places "the power in the hands of the people and that we make sure we do what the students want us to do."

Shawn Gaines, a communications major with a concentration in organizational communication, is the sole candidate for vice president. Gaines, a junior who transferred to Longwood last semester, applied to the SGA before he even arrived at the university and was sworn in as a senator in October 2011.

As vice president, Gaines believes he could engage the SGA. "Our vice president is usually the one who conducts order throughout the meeting, so I feel like with my enthusiasm and my ability to connect with people that we can have some significant and meaningful discussion," he said.

Gaines said he is a passionate leader. He added, "This is something I've committed myself to, and it's really who I am ... I feel like this position is conducive with all I have done my entire life."

Junior Dan Hughes is running for treasurer, a position he feels prepared for with his double major in business administration with concentrations in accounting and finance, experience as treasurer for his fraternity Pi Kappa Phi and time as vice president of the College of Business and Economics Dean's Student Advisory Board. Hughes was freshman class representative his freshman year and now serves as Greek representative for the SGA.

Hughes said the budget allocation process has fascinated him from the start, and feels he could help outline the procedure for organizations on campus while allocating money to those organizations fairly. "Managing money has kind of been in my curriculum," added Hughes. He said he is very organized and being part of multiple organizations has helped him learn to manage his time well.

Junior Heather Krukowski, a liberal studies major with a concentration in special education, is currently assistant treasurer for the SGA. She has held her position for almost a semester and has been in the SGA for the majority of the academic year.

Krukowski believes her experience as assistant treasurer and as a senator have helped her gain "an understanding of the bylaws in the constitution." She added, "I just feel that I can fulfill the position to my best ability."

Queen Burrell, who is currently sophomore class president, is also running for treasurer. Burrell, a political science major, said she is ready to move to the SGA Executive Board after her two years of experience in the SGA as class president both years.

Burrell has sat in on the Student Finance Committee (SFC) during her time in the SGA and feels she has "got the hang of everything" after two years of observing SFC when the committee meets.

Sophomore Steven Sommer, a communications major with a concentration in mass media, is one of the three candidates for secretary. Sommer served as freshman class representative during the 2010-2011 academic year, but did not serve as a senator this year in order to focus on academics.

Sommer said he is ready to be part of SGA again and feels he can serve the position of secretary well because of his dependability and the diverse student, faculty and staff population he is familiar with, particularly from his experience as a Peer Mentor.

Sommer said he hopes to be elected secretary to voice students' opinions. "I've got my own opinions ... but as far as coming to that position, I know I'm going to be unbiased if students raise concerns to me," he said. "I'm more than willing to help."

Sophomore Leighan Worden has served as the Honors College representative for the past semester and feels she is ready to become more involved as secretary.

Worden, a liberal studies major with concentrations in elementary and middle education, said she has seen "how vital a role SGA plays in what goes on at Longwood's campus." Worden thinks being on Executive Board as secretary can help her have more of a role in what happens on campus.

In addition to being consistently organized, Worden said she is "really approachable, and a lot of people have been able to come up to me with different concerns."

Secretarial candidate Garland Cox has served as a senator for the past two semesters. "I've been enjoying the Senate and helping the Longwood community, and I wanted to advance my placement and do more for Longwood," said Cox.

Cox added, "I thought secretary would be a great way for me to help the campus." Cox, a sophomore business major with a concentration in management, described herself as "hardworking," and feels this quality is essential in her desired position.

Cox said she has talked with current SGA Secretary Danielle Brown about the position in detail and feels she is prepared to accomplish any tasks required of her.

In addition to electing the 2012-2013 Executive Board, students can elect the remaining senators, as well as Honor Board and Judicial Board justices, on Blackboard through Friday.