Running under the campaign slogan “No Payne, No Gain,” Student Government Association vice president Bob Payne believes the slogan is more than just a play on a common phrase. As far as he’s concerned, it’s almost a prediction for the effectiveness of SGA should he not win next week’s presidential election.
Citing his involvement with SGA through various positions, Payne said his role as vice president has prepared him to hit the ground running if students elect him SGA president during voting on Monday and Tuesday.
He said when students elected him and Daniel Green, this year’s SGA president, last spring, the two spent their summer break on campus, meeting and building relationships with administrators and faculty as previous incoming SGA leaders have done. Laying the foundation for and building those relationships is the biggest obstacle for an incoming president, Payne said. “I really got a good sense of who has power on campus. I can just jump right in,” he said.
The main aspects of Payne’s platform include accelerating renovations to the Danna Center and improving the quality of Student Health and Residential Life.
Payne said his campaign goals are mainly based on observations of students’ needs he has seen during his year in office. If elected, he said he will open the lines of communication between students and SGA. “All year, we’re getting feedback from students,” Payne said.
This year, he said, SGA has been reaching out to students through surveys and the SGA help desk. While he said communication between students and SGA has been better than in past years, he will meet with student organizations on a more regular basis. “There’s always work to be done,” Payne said.
Payne said another goal he would like to is continue to build the relationship between administrators and students via SGA. Referring back to his track record in student government, he said he has the knowledge to be a driving force in meetings with administrators who will affect positive change for students.
“You need a strong student voice so you can work with the (various) committees,” he said. “I know I can do the best job. Experience means a lot more than people realize.”
Daniel Monteverde can be reached at [email protected].
