Casey Nelson told us in her interview that she is running for Executive Vice President so she can pursue many different initiatives; it is clear from her platform and her preparedness that she is sincere in this desire. This Board is fully confident in her ability to perform her duties in what will likely be her role.
As the presiding officer of the SGA senate (before a Speaker is elected) and First Year Council, Casey’s plan to implement empowerment workshops to teach Robert’s Rules of Order is absolutely essential. Too often, senators are completely unprepared for office, and the lack of productivity within the body is a symptom of that. First Year Councilors are rarely taken seriously within SGA, and Casey’s decision to emphasize their success is admirable.
Ben Leake’s most helpful initiative, Parking Partner, went online after parking passes were already for sale last year. With the right publicity from Casey, the EVP’s office could have one of the most direct impacts on students in ensuring that as few people as possible purchase the wrong parking pass.
Candidates for several offices have floated the idea of incentivizing attendance at non-football athletic events, but we believe Casey’s proposal of providing $250 gift cards as a raffle is the most realistic way to make that happen. Swiping out of events is currently infeasible, and the point system has been discussed without any real progress in the last several campaigns.
The “Got Meals?” program, spearheaded this year by both Casey Nelson and Charlie Steinmetz, is one of the SGA’s most important initiatives. We would have liked to see more specifics on the mechanics of means testing that would have to accompany an expansion of the program, but the expansion is necessary nonetheless.
As is evident from her resume, Casey has proven an effective leader in her time on campus, and her preparedness for her interview and wide-ranging platform leave us with no doubt that she will continue to be effective as EVP.
Our View represents the consensus of The Crimson White Editorial Board.
