As a student, the Capstone has given me a new community, a new perspective and a new home. There aren’t many things in life that one can say that about. Because of this, I want to give back and better the University however I can. I am running for vice president for financial affairs of the Student Government Association to serve the students and the University that have given so much to me.

If I am elected, my biggest priority would be to increase the number of student scholarships given out through SGA. I see the real importance of scholarships firsthand: I wouldn’t be at The University of Alabama if I didn’t have one. Many students are struggling to make ends meet, and no student should have to choose between paying his or her rent and paying for school books.

It is pivotal that the SGA remembers who it is representing – the students. When the students are struggling, the SGA needs to step up and help. To increase the number of scholarships, I would look to increase the size of the SGA endowment, the main vehicle through which the scholarships we award are given. Interest from the endowment is taken each month and turned into scholarship money. Therefore, the larger the endowment, the more interest is accrued and the more money is given back to the students. This money could be awarded through a merit-based scholarship, Ideas to Action or the monthly need-based scholarship.

For the past couple of months I have had the honor of serving on the SGA Financial Affairs Committee. Each month, student groups come to the committee asking for funding for travel, supplies or an event or project. The Financial Affairs Committee looks at their proposal and potentially gives the student organization the money for which it applied. In the last few years, the number of student organizations has more than doubled, and the number of student organizations applying for funding has increased even more. In the same time frame, the size of the Financial Affairs committee’s fund has only increased by about two-thirds.

Should I be elected, I would lobby the administration for more funds, allowing the SGA to fund even more student organizations. As a corollary, I plan to reach out to student organizations that are applying for money and help them fundraise for their events or supplies. Helping student organizations become more self-sufficient would help them hold even more events for more students.

Transparency is key part of any elected government. We expect our elected representatives in Washington and Montgomery to use our tax money for things that benefit us, and the SGA should be the exact same way. I plan to utilize the SGA website and keep a budget that is updated every month for all students to see. It will show exactly how much money was spent that month and to where that money went.

I am looking forward to working with anyone that comes to me with a problem, big or small. I would be honored to be your next vice president for financial affairs, and should I be elected, I will work tirelessly for the student body.

Chris Willis is running for the SGA position of vice president of financial affairs. He currently serves as a senator from the College of Commerce and Business Administration.