Editor’s Note: This is the first part of a three-part series on important issues in the upcoming SA presidential election. Look for profiles of the candidates in the Feb. 15 issue.The two candidates running for Student Association president already have a combined six years of experience in the organization under various leadership roles.
Current SA attorney general Braxton Coombs and Jeral Self, who serves as administrative liaison to the SA president, touched on several improvements they would make if elected to lead the SA.
Interaction with students
The next SA president must make the effort to get out in the campus community and find out what is on students’ minds, Coombs said.
“This upcoming year, we have got to figure out what students need. I don’t think it’s a problem with students not voicing their opinions,” Coombs said. “I think it’s a problem where we’ve got to go out there and figure them out.”
He added that the relationship between the SA and the student body should be more direct, and wants to facilitate communication between the SA and students through increased accessibility.
“My main thing this year is to connect with the students, have a more direct relationship and figure out what’s on their minds. I’m here to represent their interests and issues,” he said.
Self, who currently serves as vice-president of the Black Student Alliance, also expressed a desire to serve the people of Mississippi State.
“The thing I believe is the most important is to serve the people first. Service is my leadership philosophy and it always will be that,” she said.
Self added that she wants to start a committee designed to meet with President Robert “Doc” Foglesong monthly to voice student concerns.
“[If elected,] I would create the Student Steering Committee, which would be composed of 10 to 15 students … who would hold SA town hall forums where people can voice their issues,” Self said.
Role as President
Self said she chooses not to be a member of an organization unless she can give back to it.
“Whatever I do, I do whole-heartedly, and I give my all. I see changes that need to be made on campus, and nobody is taking the initiative to change them,” Self said. “That’s why I feel I would make a really good representative for the students. I want to see Mississippi State a better place than when I came here.”
Coombs, who is an MSU Roadrunner, said his philosophy would be to secure the foundation of the SA and make sure it regains campus and community prominence.
“I think the one big thing we could do this upcoming year to leave a lasting impact on the university is to bring the SA to the students,” he said. “I want to get the SA back where it needs to be. I want to get the SA back to where students want to be involved, where students know to come to the SA to get things done.”
Future of Night Route
Both candidates are working with local businesses to help promote them in exchange for funding to expand the Night Route in Starkville, including contracts that allow businesses to renew contracts on a one, three or five-year basis.
Part of Coombs’ platform is to “stress the overall benefits of the Night Route” by establishing sponsorships with local businesses and communicating with the university and community to secure funds.
“The Night Route has definitely been a controversial subject this year, and I want to ensure that it is around for the next few years,” Coombs said. “The Night Route is huge.”
Self said she’s talked to Starkville Mayor Dan Camp as well as several local businesses about sponsorship of the route.
“[Local businesses] felt that if the SA helped them promote their events and positive things they were doing, they could give more back to us,” she said. “Based on DUI rates in Starkville, the Night Route is something that needs to be here, and we need to find a way to make it stay.