Ava Acharya

The sign, which reads “Student Government Association,” sits on the door leading to Loyola’s SGA Hub. Loyola’s current SGA administration recently fininshed their first semester in office.

We asked the SGA candidates running in this year’s election six yes or no questions and one short answer. Here are their answers.

Yes/No Questions

1. Have you held a previous position with SGA?
2. Do you think SGA has been upholding its responsibility in being the voice of the student body?
3. Should SGA members be allowed to speak to the media without permission from or going through other SGA members?
4. Do you think the administration is receptive to SGA representatives as leaders of the student body?
5. Do you think the current budget allocation process is efficient?
6. Do you think SGA is clear and transparent with funding in its recent past?

Open ended

1. What do you think SGA’s role on campus should be?

President/Vice President

Diamond/Sawyer ticket

Diamond – President

• Yes
• No
• Yes
• Yes
• No
• Yes

Open ended

• “SGA’s role and responsibility on campus should be to advocate for students’ voices and concerns. SGA should utilize its resources to make Loyola sweeter for everyone including those who join the pack after us.”

Sawyer – Vice President

• Yes
• No
• Yes
• Yes
• No
• Yes

Open ended

• “SGA has the resources to make campus life SWEETER, and it is our responsibility to support student’s interests and concerns. SGA should be a space for student’s voices to be amplified in conversations with upper administration.”

Berthelot/Cruse Ticket

Berthelot – President

• Yes
• No
• Yes
• Yes
• Yes
• Yes

Open ended

• “I think SGA’s role on campus is to be a conduit for information from the student body to the administration as well as from the administration to the student body. I also think SGA is meant to connect the different parts of campus and help them have the best Loyola experience they can.”

Cruse – Vice President

• Yes
• No
• Yes
• Yes
• Yes
• Yes

Open Ended

• “SGA’s role on campus ought to be a direct line of communication from the student body to administration. We are beholden to the needs and wants of our constituents and have a responsibility to advocate for them regardless of our personal beliefs. In my time in SGA I feel that this line of communication has been damaged and needs to be strengthened.”

Senator-at-Large

Kalena Myers – College of Arts and Science

• Yes
• Yes
• Yes
• No
• Yes
• No

Open ended

• “I think the role of SGA on Loyola’s campus is to be a voice for the student population, between students, between different organizations, and between students and various departments and administration. SGA serves a key role in facilitating connections and advocating for student representation across campus.”

Kaley Delker – College of Music and Media

• Yes
• Yes
• Yes
• No
• Unsure
• No

Open ended

• “Right now SGA has to do a lot of enforcement of campus policies. This takes away from us from doing the accessibility, educational, and student involvement work we should be focused on.”

Senators

Grayson Gustin – College of Arts and Sciences Senator

• Yes
• Yes/No
• No
• Yes
• Yes
• Yes

Open ended

• “I think SGA’s role on campus should be exactly what it is, a liaison for student to administration communication. I feel that a lot of people don’t understand that SGA isn’t the end all be all, its a process just like regular government which calls for a lot of back and forth, taking a lot of time. The role is of course major, especially for the student body but is misunderstood to be the way immediate change is made. SGA is just another branch of Loyola, then going through other branches.”

Kruz Moss – College of Arts and Sciences Senator

• Yes
• Yes
• No
• Yes
• Yes
• Yes

Open ended

• “I think SGA’s role on campus should be to receive and relay the concerns of the student body and beautify areas of the school that need upkeep, whether that be in the constitution, belongings of the campus like furniture, or simple acknowledgment of common concerns that go unseen.”

Senators who did not answer:

• Paris Hayes – College of Arts and Sciences
• Pharrell Every – College of Arts and Sciences
• Emma Ridge – College of Business
• MaryKate Mintken – College of Business

A town hall will be held on Thursday, March 21 in Monroe room 152 from 6:15 – 8 p.m. where all SGA candidates will share their plans for next year.