Editor’s Note: The candidates for Student Government college representatives were judged based on their responses to the Daily Texan Student Government Candidate Questionnaire. The response rate for each college is included below. Only those candidates who completed the questionnaire were considered. Candidates’ responses can be found in our candidate database here. Voting takes place Wednesday and Thursday at utexasvote.org.
Architecture — No responses
Business — 3 spots, 100 percent responded
Micky Wolf is a business and Plan II freshman. He has what it takes to be an excellent McCombs representative. His language for change is strong and demonstrates a strong desire to be proactive and take initiative in his role as a college representative. He’s looking to further civic engagement in SG and listen to the voices of the students he represents by means of open forum. We strongly recommend Wolf.
Ben Norton is a business honors freshman. If elected, Norton promises to throw himself in the “trenches,” so to speak. A supporter of the title “servant leader,” Norton promises to be a face in the business school as opposed to a name only a select few know. We recommend Norton.
Communication — No responses
Education — No responses
Engineering — 3 spots, 50 percent responded
Gregory Ross is an engineering and Plan II sophomore. He stresses the importance of dependability, communication and cooperation in a student leader. Ross has met with faculty members in a variety of fields to discuss expanding the Freshman Research Initiative (popular within CNS) to allow Cockrell freshmen to get involved in research. We strongly recommend Ross.
Fine Arts — No responses
Geosciences — 1 spot, 33 percent responded, no endorsement
Graduate School — No responses
Law School — 1 spot, 50 percent responded
Daniel Hung is a first-year law student and Daily Texan columnist. Hung served in Student Government as the director of the Students with Disabilities Agency from 2011 to 2012 and served on the Parking & Traffic Appeals Committee from 2013 to 2014. He feels strongly about amplifying law students’ voice and increasing their involvement with the rest of the campus. His previous experience in Student Government and concern for an often-ignored population on campus would make him a good Law representative. We recommend Hung.
Liberal Arts — 4 spots, 100 percent responded
Tanner Long is a government junior running for re-election who has already proven himself as a dedicated workhorse for student interests. When all too often, students with big ambitions in SG will say lots but do little, Long is a breath of fresh air that follows through on his promises. On issues as diverse as the sound ordinance, campus carry and voter ID, Long has consistently stood up to the city and the state on behalf of his fellow students. He has also shown initiative in campus issues, such as a recent proposal to limit Friday classes. We strongly recommend Long.
Jenny McGinty is a Plan II freshman. She possesses a valuable mixture of a positive reputation around campus and clear, succinct goals if elected. Specifically, we were wowed by McGinty’s dedication to and seriousness about creating a greater sense of community within the College of Liberal Arts. All too often, the college is seen as the “other” school in this University, where the entire miscellany is lumped together. McGinty, more than any other candidate, appeared to understand this and be willing to work hard to address it. Her proposals regarding transparency were also positive. We recommend McGinty.
Connor Madden is a Plan II and business freshman. He impressed this editorial board with his unmatched attention to detail in his platform and candidate questionnaire. Madden undoubtedly understands the complex nuances of the position he is running for, but we also found ourselves very supportive of his campaign goals. If elected, Madden pledges to shy away from the petty bickering, reminiscent of a junior high school cafeteria, that SG devolved into a few times this past year. He also has a novel plan to increase public visibility of SG and improve their relations with other organizations on campus. We recommend Madden.
Natural Sciences — 5 spots, 75 percent responded
Cameron Crane is a human biology senior running for re-election and has many lofty yet attainable goals for the College of Natural Sciences. The specificity of his initiatives is what makes him an excellent candidate. He seeks to expand upper-division class offerings to include a Monday/Wednesday sequence instead of solely MWF and TTH sequences. He also wants to partner with McCombs’ Alumni Relations to increase CNS Alumni gifts in order to improve facilities, provide scholarships and increase the number of classes that are video recorded. He hopes to create a liaison program between the Dell Medical Center and our pre-med students, as well as explore dual enrollment possibilities for CNS students and establish joint research opportunities. We strongly recommend Crane.
Laura Zhang is a neuroscience sophomore who is actively involved in the College of Natural Sciences as well as UT at large. We like her goal of promoting more funding for technology and lab equipment, more scholarships for underrepresented minorities (as well as all students), and more opportunities to utilize student passions to inspire others — especially female students — to get involved in STEM. As an advocate for collaboration, she told us she “constantly want[s] to see progress and find ways to mediate differing opinions to form the best idea.” We recommend Zhang.
Rebecca Sostek is a neuroscience freshman who may be young, but is certainly ready and able to take on the role of a Natural Science representative. While experience may not be her strong suit, she is motivated and cites her desire to learn as the catalyst for running. She wants to increase the sense of community at UT. She believes if the “students at UT or the Natural Sciences came together and worked hard to make a sea [of] orange into a group of people with varying strengths, an unlimited amount of good and improvement could come out of it.” We recommend Sostek.
Mukund Rathi is a computer science junior who has written numerous op-eds for the Texan. He believes that communication between students and official organizations are disconnected and his goal is to resolve this issue by making the SG Assembly more vigilant and engaged. He includes in his platform a pledge to stop budget cuts and tuition hikes, prevent sexual assault and end racism. While we do not agree with the substance or tone of all of Rathi’s positions, he has worked tirelessly for student interests since he arrived on campus and would not hesitate to challenge administrators when they needed it. We recommend Rathi.
Social Work — No responses
Undergraduate Studies — No responses
