My name is Drew Bridges, and I am running for Vice President for External Affairs. Since my freshman year, I have had the opportunity to participate in student government. My freshman year, I served as Director of Scholarships, and this past year, I have served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the SGA Senate. I am very grateful for the opportunity, once again, to participate in the SGA election, this time as a candidate for Vice President for External Affairs.

As students of The University of Alabama, we spend about eight months as residents in Tuscaloosa each year. Yet many students don’t see Tuscaloosa as their home during this time. It is on this premise that I believe we can make an immediate and positive impact.

As students, we do not have input on issues that directly affect our student life, such as what restaurants will open in Tuscaloosa or how the Strip will change. While we are left without a voice, we provide a major market to these companies and thus should be represented during critical decision making. As Vice President for External Affairs, I will work to convey the opinion of the student body to the Tuscaloosa City Council as new companies consider coming to Tuscaloosa.

As part of my campaign, I have met with city council members, including former SGA President Matt Calderone, and discussed the idea of greater student representation on decisions like this. Not only were they very open to the idea, but also affirmed the fact that student representation would provide them with a better idea of which businesses will succeed and provide continued growth in Tuscaloosa.

Often, as students, we are not aware of the decisions the mayor’s office and city council are currently reviewing. One idea I have to bridge the gap between the city and the University is to host a city council meeting at the Ferg, where students can meet the candidates and listen to the different projects the city is currently completing. I believe we can start to work together as a community on projects through more open communication .

I would also like to expand the Downtown Express. This initiative was created my freshman year and was very successful for several months before slowly tapering off. The route of the Downtown Express became problematic, as students were unable to understand when and where they could catch a ride. By streamlining the bus route to popular stops like Publix and Innisfree, students could have a better understanding of this great service.

In addition to streamlining the bus stops, I want to add a bus tracker feature to The University of Alabama app, similar to the Crimson Ride Tracker, to allow students to track the buses easily. I would also like to work with the city council to expand sidewalks and add lighting to walkways on the Strip. As it stands, the Strip does not allow students to walk easily from restaurants and bars. I would like to work with the city to expand sidewalks and light the darker sidewalks to allow students the opportunity to walk safely between the restaurants and bars.

I am very hopeful for the year ahead, and am sure we can make strong progress on this campus and throughout the city of Tuscaloosa. The University of Alabama is a great campus, and I owe much to it. I look forward to the opportunity to, once again, serve this great university, this time as Vice President for External Affairs.

Drew Bridges is a candidate for the position of SGA Vice President of External Affairs. He is running uncontested.