Associated Student Body elections are today, March 25, and students can vote on MyOleMiss between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Results will be announced at 7:30 p.m. on the steps of the Lyceum with runoff elections taking place Thursday.
Prior to elections, the executive candidates participated in a debate Thursday, March 20, in the student union to share their platforms.
President candidates: Eron Hendrix and Jack Jones
The candidates for president are Eron Hendrix, a junior public health and public policy leadership double major from Tupelo, and Jack Jones, a junior economics major from Murray, Ky.
The two discussed topics such as growing enrollment, free speech and university accountability. Hendrix emphasized the role of ASB in providing students with resources.
“Our campus is obviously growing,” Hendrix said. “Making sure that every single student feels like they know what’s fine, they know where to find the resources they need and they know how to get in contact with ASB (is) getting harder. Making sure that we have those opportunities to fix those problems and continue to support our students with that growing environment (would be) excellent.”
Hendrix said that constant communication with students and the university will eventually lead to change.
“You keep pushing for what the students need,” Hendrix said. “You have to keep making sure that every single student is heard, no matter if that’s 50 emails or 500 phone calls. Whatever it is, just keep trying, keep pushing.”
Jones said ASB needs to be more assertive with the university.
“Administrators hear from a lot of students daily. Most of the time, they shuffle through their email, and they don’t really do anything about it,” Jones said. “But if you’re constantly in their face, if you’re constantly in their office, calling and texting and saying, ‘This is going on, what are we going to do about it?’”
Jones cited a lack of action on certain issues.
“A big issue that most students probably don’t see is that our (university) administration refuses to get aggressive,” Jones said. “We talk about mental health, we talk about counseling, we talk about parking and whatever, and somebody establishes a committee, and that’s great. That’s wonderful. But at the end of the day, if the committee doesn’t do anything other than sit around and talk, what are we really doing? All right, let’s stop talking about the issues. Let’s start doing something about it.”
Jones also said that building a relationship with the administration is key to making change.
“It is important to establish trust. I think over the past two years I’ve been able to establish that trust, and I look forward to continuing that,” Jones said.
Vice President candidates: Hannah Broders, Walker Jacklin and Wesley Templet
Three candidates are running for vice president. Hannah Broders is a sophomore international studies and French double major from Mobile, Ala. Walker Jacklin is a junior public policy leadership major from Madison, Ala. Wesley Templet is a junior public policy leadership major from Vacherie, La.
The vice president candidates discussed getting student input, streamlining Senate operations and passing resolutions that have an impact on students. Broders stressed the importance of transparency, efficiency and advocacy in legislative operations.
“Not many students know what ASB is, and transparency would be the best way to encourage that and get more students involved,” Broders said. “Efficiency would focus on the code that would update all of the departments. Advocacy, which is at the heart of the ASB Senate, for students on campus is something that we have always been able to do. I want to continue that trend.”
Jacklin focused on his commitment to delivering concrete results, citing achievements from his time with ASB.
“The entire basis of my campaign is finally delivering results,” Jacklin said. “I was able to expand student athlete services in the FedEx center. I was also able to have accessibility changes in the library, where now on the second floor for the bathrooms they have doors where physically handicapped folks can now use those restrooms without having to ask for help. It’s about noticing those real changes and delivering results.”
Templet proposed town halls and roundtables to ensure that senators are connected to students.
“We are here for students, not for politics,” Templet said. “If we can get senators connected to their direct constituencies immediately, starting at that term, then they can hear those problems as soon as they come up because those constituents know they can contact that Senator.”
Secretary candidates: Caroline Croley and Ewing Milam
Secretary candidates Caroline Croley, a sophomore public policy leadership major from Atlanta, and Ewing Milam, a junior finance and marketing major from Ridgeland, Miss., discussed increasing student engagement.
Croley suggested increasing communication within ASB through a weekly newsletter.
“This would be done through the ASB weekly newsletter that I would implement. Other ASB members could see what the Secretary’s Department and other departments are doing, and they could help them out,” Croley said.
Milam wants to increase student engagement through social media with giveaways, working with the Grove Collective and communicating with more registered student organizations.
“I (want) to get more Greek, NPHC and RSOs involved. (I plan to) have a Greek RSO delegate system where they send people to the secretary’s office once a month and learn how we can specifically help every single student,” Milam said.
Attorney General candidate: Madison Waldrop
Madison Waldrop, a junior integrated marketing communications major from Birmingham, Ala., is running for attorney general unopposed.
Waldrop hopes to reform the ASB Code to allow the Rules Committee to meet at more flexible times to adhere to changing students schedules. Waldrop explained how the ASB code impacts students.
“It’s essential to include the students and educate the students on the code because it does affect them,” Waldrop said. “It affects them with campus elections and voting, but also honors like Who’s Who and the Hall of Fame.”
Treasury race
No candidates are running for the position of treasurer. If there is not a write-in candidate, a nominee will be appointed by the newly elected ASB president after elections.
“Per our code and constitution, if no certifiable candidate runs a write-in campaign when the ballot opens to be elected the newly elected ASB president will be able to nominate someone to be confirmed by the ASB Senate,” current ASB President Hannah Watts said.
