Students will vote for a new Student Programming Association president next week with the candidates being Maggie Jones, a current SPA officer, and John Kerry, a current Student Government Association officer.Jones, SPA secretary, said she is running for SPA president because she wants SPA to offer better events and services for students on campus. Jones has several goals she wants to accomplish as SPA president.
“I would like to get people aware of SPA, improve the attendance of our events, get more people involved with the organization and have an SPA event every week,” Jones said.
Jones said students should vote for her because of the experience she has working with SPA, unlike her opponent, where she served as the union events chairperson before becoming secretary and because she attended the National Conference on Student Leadership where she became a certified student leader.
“I feel that the two executive board positions I have held, plus the conferences I attended are all past experiences that I feel will make me a good president,” Jones said.
Kerry, SGA director of student rights and grievances, said his number one priority if elected SPA president would be to sponsor more activities for resident life. “Students shouldn’t have to pay a five dollar RHA (Residence Hall Association) fee if they’re already paying to live on campus,” Kerry said.
One of Kerry’s goals if elected president is to expand upon some of the established programs and events SPA already sponsors. Kerry wants to hold a free concert with artists who are more well known than last year’s Dream and Yellow Card as well as organize more road trips to away games and athletic events.
Kerry said if students have been satisfied with SPA for the past few years, they should vote for his opponent, who has been involved with SPA for several years.
“I’m a fiscal conservative who knows how to spend money and also how to budget,” Kerry said. “If I get elected president, students would know money is going to good use.
Maggie Jones, SPA secretary, campaigns for SPA president in the student elections being held March 23 – 25. (Ashley Falterman)
