Emily Shepherd
Contributing Writer
Candidates for Student Government Association debated issues including the process of the campus going green, mental health issues and strengthening relationships on a divided campus.
On Monday, March 2, SGA candidates answered questions from two moderators and the crowd. Some answers have been slightly edited for clarity.
Warren Norman and current SGA President Trey Book are running for president. Molly Logsdon and Georgia Moore are running for executive vice president. Amy Krazl is running unopposed for vice president of administration. Hannah Daab is running unopposed for vice president of finance.
Students can vote online on MyGate from Monday, March 9, at 12:01 a.m. through Tuesday, March 10, at 11:59 p.m.
Presidential candidates:
Trey Book and Warren Norman
How do you balance your time between academics and extracurriculars?
Book: That’s hard to do but most days, everything I do to balance my time I put in my calendar, my phone and the room calendar in my office. If it’s not on my calendar it doesn’t get done. I also make lists and priorities of what needs to be done in the day as well, week to week… I don’t answer or open emails or text messages unless I have the time to respond right there, so that way it helps remind me to respond.
Norman: Keep a strict calendar and a good checklist, and really just try to manage my time as best as I can. I do try to get my homework done just like everyone else. After all, I’m still a student.
How do you plan on building credibility with other Board of Regents members?
Norman: I’d like to build strong relationships with the other board members; that starts from the first day. Try to go in and make a good impression…and with professionalism try to be as transparent from the student perspective.
Book: [I will] continue those relationships since I currently serve on the board. I have very good working relationships with all of the board members. Some of them convinced me to run again, especially the fellow Staff and Faculty Regents Phil Schooley and Dr. Melony Shemberger. They’ve been huge assets to me, talking with me, giving me advice.
How do you plan on promoting diversity on campus?
Book: That’s something I’ve worked on a lot this past year… One partnership I’m excited for is the partnership with the International Student Organization. We’ve had a lot of meetings with them continuing onto next year. How do we help bridge that gap and get more involvement, ‘cause they do a lot of good events, a lot of fun events, but a big thing that’s lacking is communication that American students can attend as well – by creating an American buddy association. We already have something along those lines but it’s for ESL, the English Speaking Language Program, but branching out and making that available for all international students, just continuing that I build on the current relationships I’ve built over this past year.
Norman: [I’m] trying to build on the hospitality that we offer here at MSU is one of the things that we use the ISO, trying to help the laptop bank with that shortage. I’d like to build that up a little more; I’ve seen that as a bit of a problem. I’d like to see more international students, student organizations, student council, things of that nature be able to group together with us to do events whether that’s doing collaborative events on campus like the water balloon fight.
As chair of the senate, how will you remain fair to all members?
Norman: By trying to hear everyone’s voice and whenever I say that I want a personal relationship with each and every member of the senate because that personal connection kind of binds us to each other. It also lets us know that we trust each other. You could probably ask anyone in the CSI office, I spend more time there than anyone else just because I do try and leave my door open as much as possible and try to hear from students as much as I can.
Book: Looking at student involvement, over this past year and looking into next year we have really good involvement. A lot of our members are members of other committees on campus, committees for senate chairs, but there is a lot of room for growth. I’ve been meeting with a lot of other groups, current and past senators, I went to the dean’s meeting, a college heads’ meeting into RCA, RCCs as well. The position of a senator, what that really means and the benefits and how to better market and brand that. We’re working with all these different groups so we can better our position altogether.
What made you decide to run for this position?
Book: So what made me re-run for this position, this is the honest to God truth, is as a regent I was sitting on the stage for graduation in December and fall watching some of my best friends graduate… You couldn’t only see the emotions, you could feel them too. That made me think no matter how stressful this job is, everything we’re doing is for a purpose and that purpose I saw on that day. I’ve loved working for students [and] with students. This position has made me change my career path altogether. I really want to go into student affairs and work with students after graduation. I plan to stay here after graduation. That’s why I want to run again and work for the University.
Norman: I’m really just trying to get together with everyone. That’s really what made me run. I want to show the student aspect from all over campus, not only to the BOR but trying to branch out and show that international student orgs and anyone on campus we’re all coming from the same place.
What do you see as one of the top issues facing students and how do you plan to alleviate those issues?
Norman: Some top issues of course are gonna be the mental health aspect on campus, trying to support the initiatives like Racers Empower. The other one is the financial burden college makes on all of us. I really want to work toward keeping tuition rates and everything the same in my time as president. And lastly the stress of being a student, that’s a lot for everyone to handle. I’ll make sure that we’re bringing events to campus that are gonna help alleviate some of that and calm down on campus a little.
Book: We have a lot of events in planning already done for next semester. Looking ahead, we have a meeting this Wednesday about it in regards to it. [Warren] mentioned a financial issue that…I hear from students, that they wish school was more affordable, but it’s really hard when you look at the whole picture of why tuition is increasing. It’s the pension system. It’s all these things going on at the state level. Continuing to advocate for higher education at the state level is actually what we’re doing tomorrow for the rally. And then student engagement involvement, figuring out how to better engage our students.
What is your favorite thing about Murray State?
Book: My favorite tradition at Murray State is the shoe tree. My goal is to graduate and to meet my wife here… but looking at our brand as a university “We are Racers.,” we are a community, we are a fellowship, we are a friendship, “We are Racers.” It speaks to that part of campus [and] not only links current students, it links alumni to campus still. It shows that alumni have that; this campus is still a part of their home, still part of their family. It helps us build that strong sense of community that we have on campus already. That’s the reason that a lot of people attend Murray.
Norman: Definitely when I got Homecoming King this past year. I’m very proud of that. That tradition is one of the most exciting things to me just because Homecoming is better than Christmas… the whole process of Homecoming and getting to watch a football game 20 yards away from the field. That’s something that you won’t find on any other school or any other campus.
How are you already helping with the climate on campus?
Norman: “For climate on campus… we have five farms here on the University grounds. Three of those are within about a mile from the University, so those help a lot to try and combat our footprint that we’re leaving. We’ve had other projects like the green boxes at Winslow, but personally, I try to see the best in every situation, because [some things about] going green aren’t always the best, but others do make the best decisions in the long run.”
Book: “If you don’t know, we recently outsourced two-thirds of our facilities management. What that means is the company that we outsourced to is taking a one-time payment over a million dollars over five years. Part of that money is going to be spent on new campus lighting…on the academic side and residential side of campus. And that’s not only for climate change, that’s for students’ safety as well. A lot of those areas that will have new lights are from suggestions that we have from students across campus. Sodexo has green initiatives. There is a lot of money already being spent towards the University being climate friendly.”
Executive Vice President Candidates:
Molly Logsdon and Georgia Moore
What do you think is the most important responsibility for this position?
Logsdon: “The most important responsibility is presiding over the campus activities board, making sure that events are well planned and well promoted, and making sure students are interested. I’d like to bring something new and exciting to this position.”
Moore: “I totally agree with that, planning events is a big part of it. Being out there, being a big part of Murray state. Listening to students and their opinions is the most important part.”
How do you plan to manage the CAB budget?
Moore: “I think having a master schedule for things you want to do, pricing things out carefully, I think that’s gonna contribute to it well. Figuring out what students want to see and then planning the budget from there, movie nights are a great way to bring people together.”
Logsdon: “Planning and being really open in communication with the Vice President of Finance. I have been in several organizations that required me to have a budget, where I’ve had to plan and be mindful of the events on campus.”
How do you plan on being a contributing member to the student senate?
Logsdon: “I have already served on the senate this past year so I know that experience and I understand how that works, and just being an open communicator and keeping the lines of communication open between all branches of the student government.”
Moore: “Something I’d bring to the senate since I’ve never been apart of it is bringing perspective, fresh energy, positivity and I’d be a good person to connect with a lot of different student groups.”
What position on the campus activities board would you like to enhance the most and why?
Moore: “I would enhance the social media, because I don’t even know what’s going on to be honest. Those emails get lost in the inbox so we dont know whats going on as well. Enhancing social media so we can post stories so students can stay updated can really help out a lot.”
Logsdon: “I agree, I think the publicity chair is a position to be enhanced. Just making sure that students are aware of all the opportunities available to them. Everyone’s on social media these days, so using that publicity chair to amp up SGA’s social media.”
Vice President of Administration:
Amy Krazl: “Theres alot of reasons why I love being involved in SGA the past year and a half. I love being able to talk with administrators directly face to face. As well as students just like me, something that Georgia said was she didn’t realize that you get to talk with the president of Murray State at these SGA meetings. That’s a great opportunity. I want to continue to be a liaison between the administration and the students… Attendance at meetings is something that students should want to come to. If you wanna know what’s going on in your university, on campus, that’s the way to do it: come to SGA and ask questions and find out about things.”
Vice President of Finance:
Hannah Daab: “No matter who is elected, we all want to be advocates for students on campus. One of my main goals for this coming semester is make sure that other students who aren’t involved in SGA know what being in Student Government really means. I think there is a common misconception that being in SGA means you have to have this strong political affiliation or opinion on serious issues. While that is important, this position is really just about caring about your students and doing what’s right for everybody on your campus that you share. One of my main goals is to reposition the conception of senator. That being said, I’m really excited.”
