Photo Courtesy of University of Tampa Student Government
By Lia Soler
TAMPA, Fla. — Caden Raymond and Alexander Lloyd won the school government presidency with their charisma and promises of reform. Students have probably seen them around campus getting to know people and bringing life back to campus. As the year goes on, it’s time to know what they have been working on for the student body behind the scenes.
Their campaign is called “TAP,” and it encourages students to tap into the University of Tampa campus with transparency, access, and policy. In this movement, attention is drawn to highlighting students’ voices and visibility across the administration.
According to Raymond, the three main initiatives they will be tackling this year include changing the grading system to remove the “AB” category, adding more late-night dining options, and implementing digital student IDs for easy access to campus resources straight from your phone.
One of the issues they have been working on is the lack of school spirit. They believe in elevating the college experience by uniting the student body through a major event, said Lloyd.
Last year, both of them worked together to lead the first-ever Spartan Rally, which turned out to be a huge success, and this semester the celebration will be coming back for a larger turnout, striving to increase school spirit and student engagement before the men’s soccer game.
This will take place on Oct. 3, which also falls during alumni week, connecting the past and the present in an intergenerational event that will celebrate the students who are actively on campus, but also those who came before.
Student Government has already done some events this semester, such as the Beach Bash, which brought the summer vibes to campus with free coconuts, a “dunk the president tank,” free food, a mechanical shark, and more. The director’s programming will continue to host more festivities as the school year goes by.
Raymond and Lloyd have also shared that they have been working with the director of orientation and commencement to add more traditions to the University of Tampa for students to participate in.
All of this would not be possible without collaboration, which is why they have met with President Dahlberg, the entirety of her cabinet, and the deans of all the colleges to address specific issues and concerns.
The Spartan Rally will bring collaboration from multiple registered student organizations and departments on campus, creating a sense of unity and connection between students, faculty members, and alumni. Both the president and vice president of the student government agree that they have changed the system to actively represent the student body.
Raymond and Lloyd have been doing external work to make this happen and plan to continue their initiative throughout the semester.
Their campaign has received positive feedback from students and administrators alike.