After a year of unprecedented changes at Tech, one more change is set to be finalized April 3, 2020 — barring a runoff, of course. Campus leaders have thrown their hat in the ring for the Undergraduate Student Government Association (SGA) elections for the 2020–2021 academic year.
Three tickets made an appearance in this year’s election cycle, two with veteran SGA members and the third intending to “save Tech (and the world)” from the novel coronavirus.
It is certainly true that uncertainty is in the air for Tech students as the crisis revolving around COVID-19 escalates, but there is one thing that the Technique Editorial board is sure of: Brielle and Kyle deserve your vote for Undergraduate SGA president and executive vice president.
The decision was certainly a painstaking one. Both Brielle and Kyle’s platform and Vivek and Divyesh’s platforms were extremely promising, and Sarthak and Mike’s platform was concise and ambitious. For our board it came down to reliability and a tangible track-record of impactful success.
In their platform, Vivek and Divyesh do a remarkable job of showcasing their passion for Georgia Tech and succeed in fostering a sense of school spirit. Their active campaigning on social media and Skiles Walkway are symbols of their connection with the student body. Their initiatives focus on making student voices heard, which at times seems impossible for Tech students — especially in such a tumultuous era. We commend the campaign for its specific and highly detailed plans for Tech, but found that the overarching ideas within their platform largely overlapped with Brielle and Kyle’s.
The candidates’ qualifications seem to overlap as well, as both presidential hopefuls are members of the Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Fraternity and Student Ambassadors. Brielle, Kyle, Vivek, and Divyesh have all served on SGA since their freshman year, and have since worked on committees they were particularly passionate about.
Sarthak and Mike’s campaign video is not to be missed, highlighting the importance of tackling COVD-19 and the problems surrounding it. All A’s for students at Tech seems pretty nice, but certainly the undergraduate SGA does not have the power to accomplish this. Outside of the outlandish promise to charge The Weather Company for rain droplets, their point about the Books & Supplies fee hits home to many students. But an initiative like this is already happening at Tech — students will be partially refunded for both the Student Activity Fee and parking permits they may have.
Brielle and Kyle stayed in their area of expertise when drafting their platform. They focus on successful initiatives that they personally spearheaded and promise to expand them, such as the implementation of Mini-Mesters, mental health curriculum in GT1000 and GT2000, classes and the Menstrual Product Plan. On their website, Vivek and Divyesh are only able to speak on their accomplishments at the highest level, including buzz terms like “advocating” and “empowering” without specifics.
The Technique Editorial Board believed that Vivek and Divyesh have a better platform in that its goals were ambitious, specific, and captured many of the wants of the student body. However, idealism is not as electable as a proven history of successful initiatives that impact the student body on a day-to-day basis. This is ultimately why the Technique has decided to endorse Brielle Lonsberry and Kyle Smith.
It is our sincere hope that these four outstanding individuals can collaborate on their visions for the future of our institution — Vivek and Divyesh with their knowledge in large-scale projects and finance, and Brielle and Kyle with their drive to provide more opportunities for Tech students and prioritize diversity — and that they will continue to serve our Undergraduate SGA throughout their tenure at Tech.