The Maroon asked those running for vice president why they’re running and what matters to them.
Chris Casteneda, music junior:
Ever since I set foot on this campus, I have had a passion for serving Loyola. This passion came from my fundamental belief in serving others. I have been completely committed to ensuring that Loyola continues to become a better institution. This is the reason I want to be the vice president of Student Government Association. I want to create a better Loyola. I want students to feel as though they are receiving the best education possible.
This is why the main issue on my platform is sustainability. It is not that I believe all students at Loyola should become environmentalists. It is because a more sustainable Loyola means a better Loyola. Loyola was recently embarrassed by the abysmal grade of a D in the College Sustainability Report Card that was released last semester. After seeing this, the administration took swift and precise action, but this was only a small step on a long road that lies ahead of Loyola.
Our most valuable resources are the minds and ingenuity of students. I believe students will be an immense help not only in creating a more sustainable Loyola, but also in providing the brightest ideas to create change at Loyola. In order for this to occur, the student body needs a transparent SGA. SGA needs to use media outlets such as The Maroon and the Internet on a regular basis. This at least provides a means in which students can be more informed on issues that the Student Government is tackling.
There is certainly a wall between the student body and SGA as of right now. This is worrisome because SGA is elected to represent the voice of the students, and serve as a liaison between the students and administration. In order to do this effectively, my SGA will not only be transparent, but also it will be efficient and organized. I will ensure order during the senate meetings serving as the chair. I will actively participate in the initiatives that senators may have. I will guide those working on SGA. I will make sure that the SGA knows that we are here to try to make Loyola the best it can be.
Maria Rossi, English junior:
By being as open as possible to all student concerns, comments, questions and suggestions, I will represent students’ interests. I plan to create a “Know Your SGA” board in the Danna Center that will help students identify their senators, representatives, justices and executive members. The board will contain photos of each member, their contact info, what initiatives or projects they’ve been working on and what initiatives they’ve completed. I will require senators to be more deliberate in seeking out constituent issues, actively discussing current issues with students and presenting this information each week. I will provide better-staffed Student Government Association offices with increased staff hours and I will better publicize and update the SGA website to include minutes from meetings and a weekly poll on major issues.
Upon joining SGA as a freshman, I realized that this association has the most potential to do great things for students but needs revitalization in order to reach that potential. Having been active in SGA as well as a number of other student organizations, I can confidently state that I am the most experienced and passionate student for this position.
I want to address the issue of affordability by helping alleviate some of the financial burdens on students by better publicizing scholarships and increasing SGA’s funding for research grants, textbooks and graduate-level tests. Professors need to post their syllabi as early as possible and list ISBNs for required textbooks so students have plenty of time to shop for books. I also want to attend to any organizational concerns of the students. Budget appropriations guidelines need to be re-evaluated so student organizations can be allocated enough resources to facilitate growth and organizations deserve better outlets for publicizing their events and programs.
SGA will not belong to any particular student but to the student body as a whole. Every single student will have a voice in their government and can expect action and feedback from all issues that they bring to their government’s attention.
Maria Rossi
