The Griffon News

by Anna Flin
Guest Writer

Upcoming SGA elections are being approached by two candidates with very different agendas: Luke Herrington, current vice president of SGA, and Harold Callaway III, current student governor.

Callaway, who is still searching for a running mate, has detailed plans for SGA’s budget.

“One of the major things I want to look at is cost-benefit analysis run down on all the budget items that are being spent currently by SGA, just to make sure students are receiving the benefit of their money,” Callaway said.

Herrington however, is more concerned with the social element of SGA.

“One thing we would really like to focus on, I know, is to bring the fun back to SGA,” Herrington said.

According to Herrington, there has been a great deal of conflict between SGA and the administration. Herrington and his running mate, Emily Feger, hope to place the emphasis back on the student aspect of student government.

“We have a lot of stuff that we’re working on that we haven’t really told people, because we don’t want it to get back to those elements in the administration,” Herrington said. “I just know that we’re not being allowed to govern. We’ve been doing it for years, so we know how to. “We don’t need oversight.”

Callaway is approaching the administration issue from a completely different perspective.

“The level that I’ve been able to get at being on the board of governors, with the deans, with the directors, here on campus, also the vice presidents and new president elect that we’re currently searching for on the board of governors, so I think with those relationships that are already established, it’ll help things be able to move along more quickly,” Callaway said.
According to Callaway, the administration is practical.

“Dr. Bragin is a very analytical thinker, very detailed, so you do have to have all of your information, all your facts whenever you want him to sign off on something,” Callaway said.

Whoever assumes the responsibilities of SGA president will have a great deal of financial freedom, and the pressure which will come with it.

According to Natalie Bailey, current president of SGA, the new SGA budget has not yet been finally approved. Therefore the current administration has been able to do very little with the money.

“I definitely think whoever wins the presidency will have a huge budget for the spring,” Bailey said.
 
If Callaway becomes president, this excess money will be carefully budgeted, as it is a high priority for Bragin.

“Say you’ve got $60,000 in the executive board budget; you need to have each of those items specified on what it’s going to be spent,” Callaway said. “If you’re spending $3,000 on t-shirts, you need to have $3,000 for SGA week. You need to have how much each shirt’s going to cost and the vender that it’s coming from. You have to do that with each item that’s on the budget.”

This careful planning is, according to Callaway, a necessary evil.
While Callaway comes to the table with fresh ideas, Herrington said that his primary strength is experience.

“I’ve been in senate since I was a freshman,” Herrington said. “I was a member of the residence counsel for a while. I know the constitution like the back of my hand, partially because I wrote the majority of it, which was a long process.”