Student Government Candidates Discuss Platforms Before Final Vote

Five pairs of students are campaigning for the roles of Student Government President and Vice President. Voting starts Tuesday.(Photos from Candidates)
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UPDATED 9:50 p.m. 

While interviewing the ten candidates for George Mason University student government president and vice president, one common theme transpired: advocating for the student body.

The five tickets — Shane Smith and Rich Everett, Jillian Ferron and Mark Murphy, Sean Hobaugh and Evan Massengill, Lynn Gold and Dominic Pody, and D’Leon Barnett and Jacky Yoo — have proposed different campaign platforms, but they all arrive at a similar goal: to let the voices of the students be heard.

“Advocating for the students is our number one priority,” Smith said. “There’s been a disconnect between student government and the university administration, and we want to advocate on behalf of the students.”

Gold echoed a similar statement. “Our main responsibility [as leaders of student government] would be to serve as the primary representative for students — to the administration, to the state legislature — to let them know what the students want and need to lead Mason into the future.”

Another common theme was transparency. “Really, you only hear from student government once a year [during election time],” Massengill said. “We don’t hear what student government is doing for us daily or weekly, or even monthly.” Hobaugh agreed: “In order for us to reach out and communicate with students, we need to be more transparent.”

A few of the campaigns suggested specific initiatives that would help students. Barnett and Yoo want to create visitor parking passes so that students who purchase a parking permit would receive three visitor parking passes for the semester. They also suggested a holiday shuttle bus to the three local airports. Others proposed extending Gunston Go-Bus hours and creating a university-wide event calendar so that students have a central place to find out about functions. Smith and Everett proposed “G-Span,” an initiative that would allow them to post weekly video updates that highlight what student government has accomplished.

The candidates come from varying levels of experience. Three of the candidates are committee chairs: Smith, of the University Services committee, Gold, of the University Life committee and Pody, of the Outreach and External Relations committee. Ferron serves as the undersecretary for Parking and Transportation Services. Two of the candidates, Everett and Barnett, are serving as senators.

Elections will be March 30 and 31. Ballots will be sent to students via e-mail.

D'Leon Barnett and Jacky Yoo

(Photo Courtesy Candidate)

Their Platform
"A Call to ACTION--advocacy, communication, teamwork, integrity, opportunity, needs."

Favorite Thing About Mason
Sense of community; amount of opportunities on campus

Majors
Barnett: integrative studies
Yoo: communication

Pepsi or Coke?
Barnet: either
Yoo: Coke

Color or Crayon that Best Describes You
Barnett: yellow
Yoo: undecided


Web Presence: Facebook

Jillian Ferron and Mark Murphy

(Photo Courtesy Candidate)

Their Platform
"Lending a helping hand."

Favorite Thing About Mason
diversity; great campus atmosphere

Majors
Ferron and Murphy: government and international politics

Pepsi or Coke?
Ferron: Pepsi
Murphy: Coke

Color or Crayon that Best Describes You
Ferron: green
Murphy: yellow


Web Presence: JillianMark2010.com

Lynn Gold and Dominc Pody

(Photo Courtesy Candidate)

Their Platform
"Increase student input into university decision-making, lower educational costs, bring transparency to student government, improve student life."

Favorite Thing About Mason
being a new institution; experimenting with traditions

Majors
Gold and Pody: government and international politics

Pepsi or Coke?
Gold and Pody: Coke

Color or Crayon that Best Describes You
Gold: gold (of course)
Pody: purple mountain's majesty

Web Presence: BeBold2010.com

Sean Hobaugh and Evan Massengill

(Photo Courtesy Candidate)

Their Platform
"Transparency, Leadership, Advocacy and Communication."

Favorite Thing About Mason
professors; sense of community

Majors
Hobaugh: finance
Massengill: sports management

Pepsi or Coke?
Hobaugh: Coke
Massengill: Pepsi

Color or Crayon that Best Describes You
Hobaugh: red
Massengill: orange




Web Presence: Mason-2010.com

Shane Smith and Rich B. Everett

(Photo Courtesy Candidate)

Their Platform
"Renewing our promise and duty as a student government to the student body of Mason, re-energizing the student body and boosting and fostering in a new era of school spirit."

Favorite Thing About Mason
location and diversity

Majors
Smith and Everett: government and international politics

Pepsi or Coke?
Smith: Pepsi
Everett: Cherry Coke

Color or Crayon that Best Describes You
Smith: blue
Everetty: green

Web Presence: ShanendRich.com