SGA candidates prepare for elections, post platforms

Beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, students may cast their votes for Student Government Association president, vice president and senators.

At Tuesday’s SGA presidential debate, three teams of presidential and vice presidential candidates discussed issues involving affirmative action and communication problems as well as the executives’ role in student government plus several other issues.

The three teams consisted of Zmark Khan, president, and Juston Rose, vice president; Hitesh H. Patel, president, and Ali M. Khan, vice president; and Samantha Marsh, and Myo-Thwin Myint, respectively.

SGA elections director, John Wie, kicked off the debate by asking the teams to identify their platforms and describe the reasons why each team is running for executive office.

“I’m personally interested in (the SGA),” said Zmark Khan, a chemistry major.

Hitesh H. Patel, who identified himself as an anthropology, sociology, biology, chemistry, English and psychology major, told the audience that he and Ali Khan are running because of the love in their hearts, not so it looks good on a resume.

Marsh, an education major, explained to the audience that she and Myint plan to use their offices to work more with the students.

On the topic of the executives’ role, Zmark Khan said he doesn’t think there is enough political action on this campus.

“SGA should be more politically active,” he said. That’s how you get your message out.”

Marsh said she would like to see an increase in the lines of communication and be a visible spokesperson for the students, while Patel told the audience that the SGA needs to be more active in the state legislature.

“We need to form a student PAC committee,” he said.

As for communication problems between the SGA and the students, each candidate laid out some plans.

“We have to get into the STAR program the very first day (the students) are here,” Patel said, adding that “SGA is not out around campus enough.”

Marsh said part of her team’s platform involves creating a link between the students and the student government.

“One of our goals is to further communication,” she said.

Zmark Khan responded with a suggestion that members of the SGA write a weekly editorial for the Commonwealth Times to further promote the association.

Timothy A. Reed, director of University Student Commons and activities who plays a role in the STAR program, said each school or college is supposed to have at least two representatives in the senate body, the largest number of vote-getters for a school.

This year’s SGA election has only 36 senatorial candidates, far from the 50 seats available. These include four senators from the business school, one from the education school, eight from engineering, and the remaining 20 from the College of Humanities and Sciences.

“Only once or twice in the last few years have we had a point where all 50 seats were filled,” Reed said.

A major problem with the voting system occurs when a student runs as the sole representative from his or her college or school, because a single vote then can win that seat.

“One vote for a person and they’re a senator,” Reed said. “I really wish that wouldn’t happen.”

This will be the third consecutive election where students vote electronically via the Internet. Voter turnout nearly doubled after the SGA switched to an electronic ballot.

“Now voting can be done from any computer anywhere in the world,” Reed said, meaning that international exchange students from VCU may vote from outside the United States. Ballots are accessible from most computers in the various laboratories on campus.

A student can vote only once, and a login password code rejects double voting.

“Once a student votes the system kicks them back out,” Reed said. “They would have to log in again. Or if you hit the back button it will send you back again.”

This year also marked a milestone because each candidate team published its platform on the SGA Web site. Thus, party platforms are also accessible to anyone who can use a computer with Internet access.