The position of vice president for Financial Affairs presents two strong and experienced candidates in Christian Smith and Andy Koonce. The editorial board endorses Christian Smith because of his current role as treasurer, as well as his specific plans to decrease unnecessary internal spending. As treasurer, Smith would enter the role of vice president of Financial Affairs with continuity, preventing any potential learning curve in the transition. His goal to increase and revise FAC spending for organizations is another appealing part of his platform. His competitor, Koonce, also focused on increased spending, and his promise to go to organizations and explain the FAC funding process is one of the strongest parts of his campaign. He understands the importance of leaving the office to initiate more involvement with FAC and also pledges to increase available scholarship funds and the scope of students affected by scholarship money. But ultimately, the decision of Koonce to deny previous Machine involvement makes the rest of his campaign promises questionable. When asked what the biggest issue on campus was, he answered, “trust,” but only a few questions later, denied previously attending Machine meetings, despite sources confirming just the opposite. And if the biggest issue is, in fact, trust between the SGA and students, we must elect candidates who seek truth in all facets of their campaign and platform, especially in a position involving SGA finances. Both candidates are qualified for the position, but Smith’s honesty played a large factor in the editorial board’s endorsement.

Our View is the consensus of The Crimson White editorial board.