Next week, Student Government (SG) will hold its first election for the Senate since Spring 2018. In the 30 months since senators were last elected by the students, upwards of $10 million in student fees were budgeted by SG. Our student leaders advocated for ideas like free prints in the Library, better lighting on campus, and renovations to the Boathouse, all of which were researched and debated for most of the past decade. Various projects were started, but with little communication to students of their status.  

This leaves many students, including myself, wondering: What has SG accomplished in the past 30 months?

This is not to say SG hasn’t done anything, but SG has not communicated its achievements effectively. All I see on Instagram are the faces of our leaders and some fluffy quotes about what SG should be. What I don’t see is how SG spent the $10 million in student fees, or what projects SG actually completed. As a former member of SG, I know better than most how my fees are spent, but how else would I know if I didn’t have that experience?

Now that I have laid out my criticism, let me say I am happy to see two new groups of leaders emerge: Ignite and Solidarity (two words I can’t say are original, but can’t complain either). Universities like UNF have seen decreases in student participation, and COVID-19 seems to have delivered another obstacle to raising the student body back from its apathetic slumber. I could never have imagined this semester would spark an election, yet these two groups managed to rally their respective teams and recruited some optimistic rising leaders. Combined, they represent an increasingly diverse campus and possess immense potential to serve.

I will not endorse a party because I do not believe my endorsement should (or will) matter. What matters is selecting volunteers you trust to hold SG accountable, to ensure your fees are spent well, and to make your campus a better place to learn, live, and love. My hope is that these future senators never forget us, the ones who (finally) have the chance to choose them. 

I think we owe them a high-turnout election. I think we owe it to ourselves. Please visit each party’s Instagram account and reach out with any questions!

And as always, go Ospreys!

SWOOP!

Thomas Beaucham

Former 45th Student Body President (2017-2018)

UNF Student – Master’s of Accountancy Program

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