Our View: Here are the winners, we guess

CW Editorial Board
March 2, 2020

Although absolutely none of these executive board positions are contested, we at The Crimson White wanted to present our thoughts on the individuals who will be running our student government.

NAME: Demarcus Joiner

POSITION: President

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Oversee the operations of the SGA, delegate tasks and work to introduce and pass legislation. Acts as the face of the SGA.

MAIN POINTS:

Wants to be president to serve the students
Hopes to create an app for FaceTiming counselors anytime a student needs it
Will create a civic engagement campaign to increase student voter turnout
Will implement an anti-hate speech campaign
Will enhance student experience, engagement and equity

OUR VIEW: An abundance of ideas and a lack of details

There is no doubt that Joiner is full of big ideas. Unfortunately, most of Joiner’s ideas seemed to lack a cohesive method of implementation. The Editorial Board does, however, believe that Joiner’s previous experience as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion will help him when it does come time to actually enhance student equity on campus. Joiner’s anti-hate speech campaign seems commendable, but when pressed, he could provide no defense for the possible infringement on free speech that could arise from such a campaign.

NAME: Jason Rothfarb

POSITION: Executive Vice President

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Oversee First Year Council and preside over Senate until a speaker is elected.

MAIN POINTS:

Believes it is the job of executive vice president to serve as a mentor
Wants student liaisons working with the Faculty Senate
Pledges to help enhance the student experience, campus safety and SGA transparency

OUR VIEW: Most prepared; willing to follow through

Rothfarb seemed to be, more than anything, incredibly well-groomed for taking this position. We applaud Rothfarb’s efforts to better improve safety by lighting the dark areas of campus, and his promises of SGA transparency will surely be put to the test come August. Additionally, Rothfarb’s plans for student liaisons designed to communicate with the Faculty Senate is a genuinely good idea and worthy of praise. Rothfarb proposed the most comprehensive and detailed platform of any candidate.

NAME: Price Dukes

POSITION: Vice President of Academic Affairs

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Advocate for policies and programs that will help UA students succeed academically.

MAIN POINTS:

Hopes to give every student on campus the equal opportunity to succeed
Wants to extend the add/drop date
Will create a discount in Bryant-Denny Stadium if students make the Dean’s or President’s List

OUR VIEW: Pushing stagnant ideas, but could be the person to accomplish them

We’ve heard the pitch of extending the add/drop date last year, and as everyone is well aware, this never happened. Dukes brings very little to the table in terms of change. One has to look no further than his platform published on the SGA website to see that Dukes has hardly any ideas. We worry that Dukes will have a difficult time achieving some of the proposals that others have failed at in the past, but we applaud him for having the confidence to revisit them and hopes he can adapt them to be more successful.

NAME: Anna Beth Payne

POSITION: Executive Secretary

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Control the SGA budget and allocate funds to student organizations and SGA branches.

MAIN POINTS:

Enthusiastically supports the SGA
Hopes to implement ACT Card scanners in SGA office
Wants to increase number of professional development events for students

OUR VIEW: Could be a good addition; platform lacks lasting impact

Payne left a lot to be desired regarding her plans for the executive secretary role. We recognize that her job is going to leave a more internal impact, however. Through implementing effective administrative issues like bringing more technology to the SGA office and streamlining ways for students to hear from notable speakers at campus events, Payne brings a passion for SGA to the table that will be interesting to watch. We hope she incorporates more ideas into her agenda as she moves forward with the position.

NAME: Caitlyn McTier

POSITION: Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Advocate for underrepresented students on campus by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

MAIN POINTS:

Hopes to implement a more effective food pantry system, including delivery and smart pantries
Wants to update accessibility in buildings and with campus amenities
Plans on winning back the trust of minority groups
Hopes to use her communications background to reach underrepresented groups on campus

OUR VIEW: Well-polished but lacking in LGBT issues

McTier was the most polished candidate that the Editorial Board interviewed. Her proposals for visually impaired-accessible vending machines helped to demonstrate her commitment to all students, not just those traditionally thought of as marginalized. Her focus on equity for all students is a great concept, but McTier’s platform lacks a focus on bettering conditions for LGBT students.

NAME: Jillian Fields

POSITION: Vice President of External Affairs

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Connect the University with the larger Tuscaloosa and Alabama communities and communicate on the University’s behalf.

MAIN POINTS:

Will focus on improving access to affordable, near-campus housing
Proposed rent controls and university purchases of near-campus housing when pressed for more information
Wants to partner with the West Alabama Food Bank
Hopes to promote the SAFE Center and the safety of women on campus

OUR VIEW: Tackling under-discussed issues with overambitious proposals

While we applaud Fields’ audacity in tackling big issues like off-campus housing, we worry that this portion of her platform may be too difficult to achieve in one year. Her enthusiasm for student government was apparent and she genuinely seems like she cares about student well being. Fields’ focus on partnering with the West Alabama Food Bank and plan to promote the SAFE Center appear promising.

NAME: Daniel Perkins

POSITION: Vice President of Financial Affairs

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Control the SGA budget and allocate funds to student organizations and SGA branches.

MAIN POINTS:

Wants to create a centralized scholarship database on myBama
Hopes to make funds more easily accessible to student organizations
Proposed seminars and a mentorship program to help teach students about financial literacy

OUR VIEW: Good intentions, but lacking a focus on student engagement

Perkins seems to have the best of intentions when it comes to bettering the financial well-being of UA students. We also believe that a centralized scholarship database would be beneficial to all students. Perkins does, however, seem to underestimate the appeal that these voluntary financial literacy classes would have to students. Should he hope to implement this plan, a clear focus of student engagement and promotion will be necessary, and it is likely that even then students eager to learn about personal finance outside of their normal class schedules will be hard to come by.

NAME: Sam Rickert

POSITION: Vice President of Student Affairs

WHAT THE POSITION DOES: Handle issues related to students and improving their experience at the University.

MAIN POINTS:

Hopes to ensure that every student has a great experience
Proposed a portable cell phone tower in Bryant-Denny Stadium
Will allow students to rent classrooms during dead week
Create informational video to orient underclassman, since he believes it can be difficult to find one’s place on campus

OUR VIEW: Bryant-Denny-sized ideas

Rickert is ambitious with his proposals, there is no doubt about that. A cell phone tower in Bryant-Denny Stadium is something that arguably every student would be a fan of, and for many, it is quite difficult to begin their academic career when first coming to campus. His plan to make empty rooms in academic buildings available for reservation during exam weeks is achievable and could be effective.