President of PRIDE!Kent Christopher Taylor is also running for the position of USS executive director. Taylor plans to solve problems he has seen at Kent State over the years, especially public safety. LAUREN ANDERSON | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: Carl Schierhorn

Christopher Taylor has always admired Harvey Milk, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Theresa.

“It sounds clich‚, but I’ve always looked up to them,” he said, “because of what they did for the world, not just the community they represented.”

Like the humanitarians he admires, Taylor has a passion for helping others and standing up for what he believes in.

Taylor has been actively involved in community service his entire life. He volunteered at numerous agencies including libraries and nursing homes.

“Community service is something I’ve always enjoyed,” he said. “It’s a part of who I am.”

Taylor has already been in leadership positions on campus, including his current seat as president of PRIDE!Kent.

He said he wants to be executive director of the Undergraduate Student Senate for 2006-2007 in order to solve many of the problems he has noticed at Kent State.

Taylor is running a campaign platform of public safety.

“I want to make it a safer place at all times,” he said. “Not just for dorm residences, particularly in the lower areas by small group, but also for commuters who have late-night classes.”

Taylor said as executive director he wants to look at lighting on campus and other methods of safety. He said he wants to work with the undergraduate student population and find out what their safety concerns are on and off campus.

“I want the undergraduate population and the undergraduate representatives to connect their voices to fix this,” he said.

Another platform idea is to address communication on campus between the USS and undergraduate student body. Taylor said he believes the USS can not influence change at Kent State unless they have the collective voice of students.

He also wants to get more students to come to the Senate’s weekly meetings, which are open to the public.

“Not many people show up, and I’d like to change that by filling up the room full of people and generating new ideas,” he said. “Students are paying for the senators to be in office. They deserve a voice in campus politics.”

Taylor said he wants to advertise the meetings as a way for students to change campus politics and generate a force on campus.

Another issue Taylor wants to address is communication between the USS and administration in order to make the ties stronger. He said he wants to work with the new president in order to address student concerns and make the campus safer.

“Undergraduate students pay the most money,” he said. “If we don’t have a voice, then we don’t have rights on campus.”

Taylor said he believes he is the best candidate for executive director because he will accurately represent the students on campus and address their needs.

“I’ve come up with innovative ways to make sure every student on campus feels like they are part of the USS,” he said. “I want to work hard for undergraduate students. I can create change.”

Contact student politics reporter Breanne George at [email protected].