A veteran of the UNF political scene, the Solidarity Party is once again campaigning for seats in Student Government this election. Their tagline, “Transparency, Representation, and Results,” continues to represent the message they are pushing to students this election term. 

Party Co-chairs Miranda Bird and Alexandria Crotts interviewed with Spinnaker to discuss their party initiatives, goals, and any changes from the last election. 

Miranda Bird stated that “our student government should not just be for the group of students who are currently in it, it should be for every member of the student body to jump in on a Senate meeting, or watch a recording and know what was talked about. And look into the bills we are reading, we are passing, decide whether we are actually representing them or not.”

Bird is a current sitting Senator in the UNF Student Government, who’s main focus is on transparency and communication. Crotts is an active candidate in this election, running for re-election in the Senate. Speaking to any party changes from last year, both co-chairs said that while the candidates have changed, their goals and ideals have largely remained the same. 

“We are not seeking a one-party system where we want to take over every seat in the Senate and have everything go our way. We definitely understand the need for different perspectives and we are absolutely thrilled there are 5 different active parties this semester, which is incredible,” says Bird. “Our goal is to put forth at least 5 good candidates, make sure that they are a good fit for Student Government.”

Bird explained how her main focus is communication, transparency, and accessibility. On the other hand, Crotts elaborated on her focuses in this upcoming election:

“I am all about campus beautification. I believe that there are issues that we can of course improve with our campus, because if we have a more beautiful campus it will increase morale especially during this time where not a lot of people are on campus […] Maybe that will reflect on our students and help them become more happy and enjoy being outdoors.”

The Solidarity Party spoke about a variety of initiatives that they plan to begin if elected, including but not limited to:

• Major overhauls of the Student Government website
• Improving relationships between faculty and students
• Improving the Game Room
• Having a wider variety of dining options in the Cafe
• Installing solar panel lighting on campus buildings
• Improving walkways on campus for accessibility
• Establishing a Syllabus Bank (a collection of old syllabi from as many classes and professors at UNF as possible)
• And many more

Both co-chairs stressed how “the Solidarity Party is very much focused on wanting to know what the students are thinking about our projects.” The party is all about maintaining open communication between the student body and Student Government.

With such a large number of parties running in this approaching election, Spinnaker will continue to keep you informed. 

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