The candidates running for Undergraduate Student Government will be attending ‘Meet the Candidates night’ to tell students their platforms and goals at 6 p.m. today in the Rathskeller.

“It’s basically kind of an open forum,” said Donna Carlton, USG faculty adviser.

There will be a panel that asks questions specifically to the candidates running for each individual position. It will take a debate style, with candidates giving their own opinions and rebuttals of their opponent’s positions.

Carlton said the forum should last no more than two hours.

The election is March 9. Students can vote on Election Day for their favorite candidate on FlashLine.

Director of Community Affairs

Brianna Lawhorn

Brianna Lawhorn served this academic year as Undergraduate Student Government’s director of academic affairs, which she describes as “less hands-on” than what she wants to do. Seeing the work of the current director of community affairs, Lawhorn said she believes she has what it takes to do the job.

Lawhorn, a junior middle-childhood education major, is busy with her student teaching, current role in USG and as president of Pan-Hellenic Council, yet she still finds the time to campaign. She attributes this to her strong time-management skills.

Though Lawhorn is counting on the Greek vote, she hopes her leadership experience and passion will sway voters her way.

“There’s been a lot of issues,” Lawhorn said, mentioning last year’s College Fest incident and recent safety problems on campus. She wants to address these issues.

“I love getting involved with things,” she said. She hopes to bring some of her sorority’s events to student government, including a community service awareness week and another event focused on safety awareness.

Jennifer Mani

When Jennifer Mani first came to Kent State, she served as the corresponding secretary for Leebrick and Korb Hall Council. After three years in that position, she moved on to serve as the council’s president for two more years.

Mani, a senior psychology major, used to work with the current director of community affairs. She said he always seemed to enjoy it, so she would like to take the reins.

“I want to take (student) opinions and bring (them) to the city of Kent,” Mani said, “because I want to continue on with the relationship we have (with the city) so far and make it bigger and better.” She hopes to do surveys to get opinions that reflect the whole student body.

Because of her time on the Leebrick and Korb Hall Council, Mani has had experience with Kent Interhall Council. She has worked as a tutor and currently works with a group home, which she says makes her a “really good role model.”

“I want the students who live on-campus and off-campus to feel comfortable with the city they’re living in,” she said.

Director of Programming

Jeffrey Hammond

Jeffrey Hammond’s brother served as the programming board chair for two years, and he said he has been involved with Undergraduate Student Government programming as early as high school. Hammond, a sophomore health and physical education major, is now running for USG’s director of programming in the hope of serving the Kent State student body.

Hammond is the vice president for loss prevention in Delta Upsilon, served on the food committee his freshman year and is currently the house chair for USG’s programming board.

“With the concerts,” Hammond said, “I want the students to actually be involved with what we’re trying to bring. I want to get input from them.”

He said he wants to bring bigger-named bands to Kent State by instituting polls and surveys to receive feedback. Hammond also wants to check into speakers and comedians that students might want.

Hammond doesn’t have any specific people in mind because he wants to make sure all the programming at Kent State is what the students want, rather than the programming board.

“It’s not just USG’s campus,” Hammond said, “but it’s the student body’s campus.”

Alex Tucker

When Alex Tucker was a senior in high school, he interned at the Grog Shop, a live music venue in Cleveland. He says he learned the skills there that will help him if he is elected as the Undergraduate Student Government’s director of programming.

Tucker, a junior communications studies major, spent a year on the All-Campus Programming Boardat Kent State, working as the Rathskeller programmer. He said he planned 30 shows, mostly concerts, while holding that position. He now works as the promotions chair for USG’s programming board.

“I just want people to know I have enough experience, and I want to make sure that we can get … a lot of good programs to happen,” Tucker said.

He wants to book at least one more concert and comedian at Kent State, “the bigger, the better.” However, he knows budget constraints may hinder this goal. Tucker also said he would like to see better guest lecturers come, but he doesn’t have any specific lecturers in mind yet.

Tucker also said he hopes to add a Rathskeller liaison to the programming board to build a better relationship between USG and the Rathskeller.

He said he is aware that he can’t please every student with every event.

“As a whole, at the end of the year, I want to make sure all the students were happy about something,” Tucker said.

College of the Arts

Name: Emily Orians

Year: Junior

Major: Fashion Merchandising

“If elected for this position, one of my main goals is to facilitate open forums between students and select members of the administration.

Many students may currently feel that their school does not care about their needs, when in truth, the school simply is not aware that such deficits exist. Open communication is the best path towards a fully successful

academic experience.”

Director of Governmental Affairs

Written by Jessica White

Allison Rapp

Allison Rapp said she assures students she will not take her student government responsibilities lightly.

Rapp is a sophomore political science major with a concentration in American politics. She’s running for director of governmental affairs.

“Through creating a monthly newsletter and holding open forums for discussing legislation, I hope to inform and also excite our student body about governmental affairs,” she said.

Rapp said her primary goal is to increase student involvement in politics.

Rapp said she also plans to write grant proposals to receive the funding needed to “continue enhancing our campus.”

­

Kevin Papp

Kevin Papp said he wants to help foster the flow of communication between policy makers and students.

“I want to facilitate a strong link between the student body and the local, state and national government,” he said.

Papp is a sophomore international relations major with a minor in justice studies. He’s running for director of governmental affairs.

Papp said he plans to frequently publish bulletins on state legislature and congressional issues that affect Kent State students. He said he also wants to hold forums during which students can discuss these issues. Papp said he intends to voice any student concerns to the university, Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio state legislature if necessary.

“Students should have an active voice in legislation that affects them,” he said.

Taiwo Adesina

Taiwo Adesina said she wants to put students’ ideas to action.

Adesina is a junior psychology and pre-med major. She’s running for Director of Academic Affairs.

Adesina said she plans to increase study abroad involvement, look into diversity training for college advisers and extend library hours to 24/7 during finals week.

She said she also wants to improve the annual “Meet the Deans” event. Adesina said she would like the event to be more interactive and to give all students the opportunity to meet deans from every college, in case students are thinking about changing or doubling majors.

“I want to find out what students need to make their stay at Kent successful,” she said.

Brett Fodor

Brett Fodor said he wants to provide education outside the classroom for students.

“I feel like there’s a gap between education and real world application,” he said.

Fodor is a sophomore philosophy major. He’s running for Director of Academic Affairs.

Fodor said he wants to improve tutoring services and increase student awareness of current events.

“Too many students are detached from prominent issues in our society,” he said.

Fodor said he also wants to institute screening for learning disabilities.

“Many people are unaware they even have a learning disability because they are uneducated on the subject,” he said. “If we provide free testing for STDs, why not learning disabilities?”

College of Arts and Sciences

Name: Samuel Chambers

Major: Political Sciences

Year: Junior

Chambers said the communication between faculty and students is paramount, and he will work to facilitate that relationship. If elected, he said he would communicate with Timothy Moerland, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to get students’ ideas taken seriously.

— Kathryn McGonagle

Name: Christopher D. Jones

Major: Political Science

Year: Freshman

Jones said his goals are to be the connecting piece between students and USG, and he wants to help students understand USG and allow them to get their voices heard.

— Kathryn McGonagle

College of Business Administration

Name: Carl Fejko

Major: Marketing

Year: Sophomore

Fejko is running for senator of the College of Business Administration because he wants to address issues that are important to business students. His goals include creating a student committee to meet regularly to address these issues and others such as the condition of Room 200 in the Business Building and the time that honors college classes are offered.

— Amanda Klitsch

Name: D’Angelo McCornell

Major: Business Management

Year: Junior

McCornell is running for senator of the College of Business Administration because he wants to use his leadership ability to become more involved with his collegiate peers. His goals include getting more conference rooms that are accessible to everyone so that business students will have more space and opportunity to get projects done.

— Amanda Klitsch

College of Communication and Information

Name: Vaughn Stull

Major: Electronic Media Production

Year: Senior

Stull, who is a write-in candidate, said he hopes to facilitate direct communication and transparency between himself and the students he is representing by raising awareness about what is going on with the Undergraduate Student Government.

— Rabab Al-Sharif

Name: Margaret Thompson

Major: Broadcast journalism and architectural studies major

Year: Junior

Thompson said she wants students to be aware of what Undergraduate Student Government does. She said she has no personal motives for running and just wants to represent what students want in terms of entertainment and on-campus renovations.

— Rabab Al-Sharif

College of Technology

Name: Somadina Nwaokafor

Major: Construction Management

Year: Junior

Nwaokafor is the current senator looking for reelection. He said he would like to put emphasis on the construction management program to make it better known and to promote the College of Technology.

— Nicole Aikens

Name: Kenneth Wayne Smith, Jr.

Major: Aeronautics

Year: Sophomore

Smith is running because he believes he can get more attendance for the College of Technology. Smith’s main goal is to promote the aeronautics program so prospective students will consider the program more seriously.

— Nicole Aikens

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Name: Carolyn Isaacson

Major: Architecture

Year: Freshman

Isaacson said her goals are to make more lectures and presentations that are associated with the College of Architecture and Environmental Design available to the students more often and to get the college involved in some more university-wide activities.

— Nicole Aikens

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Name: Andrew Carr

Year: Junior

Major: Integrated Social Studies

“Being an R.A. keeps me busy, but I thought I could do more to get involved. You can’t just get an education by going to classes. A degree counts but the experience is what matters.”

— Dan Richardson