My name is Shea Stripling, and I’m running for SGA President. Some readers might think I’m going to use this article to discuss my corporate sponsor and their amazing breakfast foods, but I don’t want to discuss America’s favorite diner today. I want to talk about the issues: The issues facing this campus. I want to talk about how my administration can address these issues. I want to talk about how by facing these issues, my administration can take the University of Alabama to the next level. I want to talk about how by facing these issues and taking the University of Alabama to the next level, my administration can foster unity on this campus. I want to talk about how the process with which my administration will address these issues, take the University of Alabama to the next level and foster unity will be completely transparent.

Several issues have already been singled out as hot topics in the 2012 Election: unity on campus, spending in the SGA, and transparency in the SGA (to name a few). These issues have never been fully addressed by previous administrations, and I intend to use my next 200 words to do so.

One of UA’s leaders once said, “Unity is my goal. I want all of you to join me in unification.” That leader was former SGA president Grant Cochran, and though he wasn’t able to stay in office long enough to see this goal realized, I think he had the best intentions. I, too, have the best intentions to foster unity on this campus. I would like to eliminate block seating. I’m not sure why we’ve preserved this system that seems as though it was lifted from the ‘Mean Girls’ screenplay. However, if we must keep our student organizations separate (but equal), let’s at least make it fair by assigning each organization a country and arranging these organizations by where their respective countries fall geographically from east to west.

SGA spending was brought up during last Sunday’s debate. I’m not sure why. The SGA has a budget of over $600,000. Last year, $8,500 was spent in the executive branch. $7,000 was spent on SGA student salaries. Over $6,000 was spent on the “choreography and pep rally” during homecoming week. Nearly $2,000 was spent on student scholarships. This seems to be the best way to spend the portion of students’ tuition that goes towards the SGA budget.

I would like to leave you with a few thoughts about the SGA’s favorite subject to talk around: transparency. At the last debate, I was accused of being a comedian and berated for “mocking the system.” I enjoy laughing, smiling and making others do the same. I could not run for this office without revealing these characteristics. To do so would be hypocritical. I’m not sure why our SGA members need to dress up and play politics, but that’s not me.

To read more about the real issues facing the UA campus, please visit NewsDeepFried.com

Shea Stripling is running for the position of SGA president.