Election on the line

Created to govern the student body of Coastal Carolina University, students can vote March 27-31 for Student Government Association (SGA) candidates who have launched their campaigns for the fall.

Students can votes through Coastal Connections for who they want to be represented by. Many candidates are running unopposed, but that does not ensure a stress-free week leading up to the election.

SGA candidates are hoping to make themselves known and available to students in the upcoming school year. Senior Rylie Titler said she does not know much about what the association does.

“They try to make the school a better place, but no one really listens to them,” Titler said.

One candidate who is running unopposed this week is Gabrielle Ryder, the current student body president. She said she hopes to continue the work she started in her previous term and bolster the presence of SGA throughout the student body. Following president Mateo Solana in January, Ryder has worked to repair the reputation and ensure students that SGA will be there whenever they are in need.

”If a majority of student on campus can’t name at least one thing that their SGA has done, then we’re not doing our job,” Ryder said.

Ryder has been involved with student government since middle school and she said serving the student body has always been her passion. While she has only held her position for two months, she has  already started working on new policies to aid students throughout campus. One of her main projects this semester has been ensuring the association has a strong relationship with students, as well as other organizations on campus.

Ryder’s campaign partner and executive vice president (VP), Ryleigh
Gregory, is also running unopposed this week. Gregory currently serves as the VP of finance. She shares the same as Ryder when it comes to outreach on campus.

“I think it would be really nice to expand our reach on campus and maintain the relationships that we already have and make sure they continue to grow,” Gregory said.

Both Gregory and Ryder have mentioned TimelyCare as an example of how the association has the ability to create and change policies to benefit students. Other examples of what SGA has brought to campus include the Teal Mobile and free menstrual products in most academic buildings.

Sophomore Jaden Corbeil is running to fill Gregory’s position but is unavailable for a comment at this time.

While the student body president and executive VP will run unopposed during election week, the campaign for VP of place,
public relations will see competition. Junior Ansleigh Touchberry, who currently holds the position, is opposed by freshman Matthew Thomas.

Touchberry said she is passionate about her position.

”I truly do care about making sure that campus opportunities are distributed and possible for every club, organization, and student here on campus with a voice,” Touchberry said.

The VP of public relations has responsibilities of event programming as well as social media programming. Touchberry explained she has experience through her sorority as she held positions of VP of event management and digital marketing specialist.

Thomas created his campaign with the goal to get himself more involved in a way to have a voice.

”It’s important people vote just because of activities SGA does as they do a lot,” Thomas said.

The candidate does not win VP of public relations will return into their role as senator for their designated college. Touchberry would become senior senator for Conway Medical Center College of Health and Human Performance and Thomas become Wall College of Business sophomore senator.

SGA meetings are open to students on Mondays at 6 p.m. in the Lib Jackson Student Union room A-201.