The University of Tampa student body recently passed the new SG constitution and it will be up to the new SG president and vice president to ensure the new legislation is put in place.

Campaigning began on Wednesday, April 8 and voting will begin on Tuesday, April 14 after Leadership Awards Night.

Running for SG president is the current SG vice president, Kelsie Huth and Andrew Argue, a Vaughn RA.

Both candidates are supporters of the new constitution, which has yet to be approved by UT administration and President Ronald Vaughn.

Argue wants to create a 10-year sustainability plan to ensure the new guidelines are followed. He also wants a continual revision process of the constitution to strengthen the document.

As VP, Huth has worked closely with current president Andrew Learned to revise the constitution. She wants to move it forward as well, but does not have a specific plan in place.

‘I really want to see the constitution through,’ Huth said.

Although the document is a main platform of Huth’s campaign, she also wants access for all students to all residence halls and a book swap program to curb textbook costs.

Elbin Keeppanasseril, Argue’s running mate and also a Vaughn RA, wants more student involvement in SG.

‘I want students to know what SG is doing,’ the junior said in his speech to the General Assembly. ‘I want UT to make a bigger impact in Tampa.’

Keeppanasseril proposes electing a complaint department as a main cabinet positions. ‘I want to make it our job to help you,’ the junior said. ‘I promise to make sure that all groups are heard.’

‘We promise to keep our promises and if we don’t we will step down ourselves,’ Keeppanasseril said. Neither Argue nor Keeppansseril have experience with SG, but plan to use their RA experience and their involvement on campus to lead SG in the right direction.

Argue, a junior accounting major, is also the vice president of Beta Alpa Psi, a Finance National Honor Society. He will be the head resident position in Smiley next year. Argue plans to examine the health center because he believes people are not getting adequate services. ‘It seems that more people are getting sick than healed,’ he said in his speech.

The appropriations process is lacking oversight according to Argue.

If elected, Argue will tighten oversight of SG spending.

‘I like challenges,’ Argue said. ‘I can get the job done.’

In his speech to GA, Chris McCarthy, Huth’s running mate, wanted to see change in school spirit, student conduct and meal plans.

As a congressman for the sophomore class, McCarthy played a vital role in organizing the Black Out at the Men’s Basketball Game which drew over 600 students.

The sophomore will give students an incentive to attend games by giving t-shirts and posters.

Huth and McCarthy said they will push for what student government wants and if they run into obstacles they will try in a new direction.
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