Michael Grosch, Student Government Association (SGA) president, said his reelection campaign is about follow-through. Grosch said his first semester as president was concentrated on working out internal problems within SGA, but this semester has been about setting up programs to advocate for students.
Grosch said if he is re-elected, next semester is when students can expect to see big, long-term change. Grosch said, changing SGA leadership now would cause a loss of momentum and hinder SGA’s progress.
“There’s a big transition coming within a lot of student government, not only with members, but with faculty and advisers that advise student government,” Grosch said. “I am able to follow through and make that transition better into the coming year than if we put somebody new on there that maybe wouldn’t necessarily know what to do.”
Grosch said SGA has already started to tackle big issues by creating committees. These committees take an in-depth look at the causes and possible solutions to problems like financial aid and student class scheduling.
“I can honestly say now that I know how to be president,” Grosch said, “I know how to get things done, and I know that we need to continue getting things done. We can’t relax, and we can’t let up, and we can’t say, ‘Oh well, we’ll work on that later.’ We have to do it now.”
Grosch also plans on creating a relationship between SGA and Webster Groves. Grosch thinks Webster University is a large part of the Webster Groves community, and the students should have a voice within Webster Groves. Grosch pointed out that issues such as adding new crosswalks, something students have expressed concern over, require action from the city. Grosch thinks SGA can be that voice.
“We are at a time where, it’s kind of ‘do or die,’” Grosch said. “We can either continue moving on or we can stop and just go back to being a bank and just let it go.”
Javier Cardenas, Student Government Association (SGA) senator for arts and sciences, would like to be SGA’s next president. Cardenas said he would tackle issues like improving dining services, allowing students to be more open within SGA and utilizing senators.
Cardenas said he is running for president because he thinks SGA is preoccupied with its banking duties. He said because of this, SGA is unable to advocate for students.
“I think we’ve become too much of a banking system. Students just come to us for money,” Cardenas said. “Banking is important, but advocating is more important.”
Cardenas said he is concerned that students don’t know what SGA does, or the role SGA can play in Webster students’ experiences.
“One of the main issues that I think is important is the outreach SGA has for the student body. I don’t think we outreach enough,” Cardenas said. “Students don’t know exactly what we do.”
Cardenas said he would make SGA more open and available to students by hosting monthly “cocktail” parties, where SGA members would network with students, and students could voice concerns and opinions.
“It’s got to be constant advocating. I think the best way to do it is to have a president that’s willing to be upset, who needs to be upset so that we get things done for students, because that’s the majority of my job, and that’s going to be the job,” Cardenas said.
Cardenas said he is also concerned SGA isn’t taking full advantage of its senators, who he thinks should have more tasks and projects to complete. Cardenas said he wants to involve SGA senators in its conversations with the Webster administration, something he said does not happen.
“Sadly enough, with students that join SGA, there’s a large possibility that they will drop out, or they don’t run for re-election because they don’t feel that the experience is gratifying them,” Cardenas said. “They don’t feel like they’re doing anything, or changing anything, and I feel that needs to be changed and the best way to change that is getting new leadership in SGA.”
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