Editor’s note: This is part of a series of Student Government executive alliance candidate profiles before the election on March 2 and 3. Read the rest of the profiles and submitted columns from all of the candidates here.
Shay Holt and Wade Ivey, candidates for student body president and vice president, are trying to improve the University experience for students with a hands-off approach.
Holt and Ivey aim to have healthier and more affordable food on campus, improve game day experiences, keep Littlefield Fountain clean, make blue books free for students and place bike lanes on Speedway.
Holt, a history and European studies senior, said his alliance with Ivey was circumstantial. Neither candidate has any previous Student Government experience.
“I’m running completely by accident,” government sophomore Ivey said. “I happened to be in the Student Government office when (Holt) was talking about how his previous running mate was … ineligible to run with him. I didn’t want him to lose his shot. If he had plans to make his campaign, then I wanted to be there for anyone.”
Holt said one of the campaign’s top priorities is making food on campus more affordable for students because the current inexpensive options are limited.
“I don’t know how you can expect to see kids succeeding at school when they’re worried about (what they’re going to eat that week),” Holt said.
Ivey said the University profits off students, and one of his top priorities is improving the quality of toilet paper on campus.
“My candidacy really isn’t about me so much as it is about a couple of things I think could really be improved,” Ivey said. “I think that (UT) should be able to afford two-ply toilet paper.”
Ivey also said he wants to improve game day experiences for all sports, especially baseball and basketball.
“I do promise that every one of (students’) grievances, though maybe there’s nothing I can do about them, will be voiced,” Holt said. “I’m not doing this to put on my résumé.”
Holt said he wants to give back to the community, and the campaign has not spent any of the money in their budget. He said all he could do as student body president is uplift assembly legislation.
“All I can really promise anybody is that I will carry out the enumerated powers of the president,” Holt said. “It’s not just about me. It’s about everybody who’s been a Longhorn, everybody that’ll be a Longhorn, everybody that is a Longhorn.”
