If someone asked me two years ago what I would be doing my sophomore year of college, I never would have guessed that I would be running for executive secretary of the Student Government Association. I am honored to have the chance to improve The University of Alabama in different areas through my platform.

If I were to be elected, my first step would be to improve the communication between the three branches of the SGA. Being in Senate this past year, I realized how little I knew about the inner workings of the Executive and Judicial branches. If all of the branches communicate more efficiently, then we can get the word out to the student body faster.

The second (and in my opinion, the most important) part of my platform is to make SGA more open to the input of the student body. SGA is the voice of the student body, and without each and every student’s input, we are mute.

Next, I would like to completely revamp the SGA’s website so that important documents, such as the UA Constitution and other necessary forms, are readily available. The new website would also give the minutes taken at meetings more clarity, so that they would be useful to any student who wants to know more.

I would also like to record SGA meetings, possibly with Tegrity, so students can feel like they are in the room and being an active participant. I would also like to schedule a weekly or biweekly town hall, but make it more low key than in years past so students would feel less intimidated to come talk about their ideas student-to-student in a casual environment rather than they being dressed up and in front of a panel.

Finally, my third goal is to build a better sense of community between the campus and the city of Tuscaloosa. The city supports the campus in a multitude of ways, as is evident at each sporting event, especially in the fall. Still, there are so many different ways that we can support each other including fundraising events. I feel as though we can utilize resources such as The SOURCE and Crimson Calendars to get city and campus events out to the student population.

Over the past two years, I have worked to put on a program called Paint The Town Pink, which collaborated with the gymnastics Power of Pink meet. In First Year Council, the external affairs committee hung up pink ribbons on educational buildings, and this past year I expanded it to a 5K and painting windows on the strip pink with the funding of SGA.

If elected as executive secretary, I would like to expand this even more by incorporating more of the citizens of Tuscaloosa. I feel that in the past, the Student Government Association has lost the faith and trust of the students, and if elected, I would do everything in my power to regain it.

My hope is that through the work I accomplished in my previous positions, I have shown the student body that I am accountable and hard working, and that I will be easily able to continue meeting that standard as executive secretary of the SGA.

I ask that you put time into thinking about what each candidate has to offer for the position of executive secretary. I believe that a vote for Emily Passwaters will be the choice for you.

Emily Passwaters is running for the SGA Executive Secretary position. She currently serves as a Senator from the College of Communication and Information Sciences.