Let the races begin. As March starts, so does campaigning for Student Senate. At the beginning of this month, two major coalitions were formed, Grow KU and Jayhawkers, with the possibilities of more to come.
Grow KU (@GrowKU) is a coalition that wants to encourage diversity and create success throughout student organizations. It has created several platforms of things they want to accomplish this year, if elected.
Grow KU wants to create a resource center with lockers for commuters, resources for parenting and overall a great place to hang out on campus. The campaign also wants to make mental health services more available to students despite their financial situation and to create and a campus environment suited to “nurture healthy minds.”
Grow KU wants to help make KU a safer place by improving the lighting on campus and updating the emergency poles to keep students safe. While keeping students safe, the coalition will also work with the city of Lawrence to install BikeShare stations all over the city including the campus to help students travel while keeping the environment clean.
Grow KU plans to simplify the recycling process here at KU and will work with campus recycling programs to help keep campus clean. With so many student organizations, Grow KU wants to help create and grow relationships among organizations. Lastly, it will create a Political Action Committee that will help ensure that student voices are heard by legislators Topeka.
Grow KU’s President is Morgan Said and the Vice President is Miranda Wagner.
The second coalition is Jayhawkers (@JayhawkersKU). Jayhawkers wants to create open-minded dialogue, principled determination and collaborative action. The Jayhawkers’ campaign has three main points: Conserve KU, Strengthen KU and Beyond KU, each focusing on a certain aspect of KU and how Jayhawkers wants to change or improve it.
Strengthen KU is centered on on reaching out to all of the KU community to improve student life and KU’s retention rates. This includes expanding residence hall dining plans and extending its hours, as well as changing dining halls to have flexible hours and healthier food choices. Jayhawkers also wants to broaden class options for summer and winter breaks. They will work with KU administration to create Late Night at The Union on weekends to help give students a safer alternative to drinking on Friday nights.
Conserve KU is Jayhawkers platform to conserve the beauty on campus. By uniting with Replant Mount Oread, Jayhawkers will help plant and breathe new life into the campus.
Beyond KU is Jayhawkers platform reaching out to students beyond the classroom. Jayhawkers wants to create “STAR: Student Transition and Academic Readiness, “a program that will prepare first generation students, students of color and students with lower socio-economic background to succeed in college.”
Jayhawkers’ President is MacKenzie Oatman and it’s Vice President is Mitchell Cota.
Make sure you get out and vote for your representatives! KU needs every student voting to make sure that our voices are heard!