Just in line with the U.S. Election season comes Stevens Institute of Technology’s Student Government Association’s Presidential Election. The following three sets of candidates are officially on the ticket: Jason Chlus and Ryan Tom, Jonathan Darlak and Timothy Barrett, and Mark Krupinski and Alexander Murtagh.
The main job of the Student Government Association (SGA) is to represent the undergraduate student body. Senators take up initiatives to further improve Stevens, work in specific committees with designated themes, and email their respective districts. The cabinet is appointed by the winning presidential pair and help lead the SGA properly. As the role of the SGA continues to grow and gain influence, students look for leaders that will propagate their wants efficiently and effectively. In order to gain a better understanding of the candidates and their ideas read responses to questions regarding their platforms below:
Jason Chlus and Ryan Tom
1) Why should you be the next SGA President and Vice-President of Operations?
Our experiences and connections have provided us with a very comprehensive list of ideas, from which we have developed a thorough strategy. Not only do we have many lofty goals, but we feel that they all have the possibility to be accomplished and we have created a list of specific areas which will ensure we meet our goals. Overall, we believe that we have the most concrete and complete plan to accomplish our objectives, as well as the flexibility to take on any other projects that will arise. This will allow us to fully meet the needs of the student body.
2) What do you hope to accomplish in your first 30 days?
Our first component will be to pick up any initiatives of the previous cabinet where they left off, in order to see them through. This is something that is often forgotten and overlooked by new cabinets. As a part of our broader goals, we plan to create solid lines of communication with the administration and faculty, that will establish an early sense of trust and a valued opinion for our term. This will allow us to begin to involve the student body more in the core decision making processes that affect the future of Stevens. Additionally, we plan to rework aspects of the SGA that will not only allow senators to focus more on initiatives that will enhance the Stevens experience, but increase productivity while fostering positivity and excitement within the SGA.
3) What do you believe the Stevens community lacks and how would you work to fix that?
In one word: Pride. A majority students aren’t happy with their education; the specific complaints vary from student to student, but the theme is the same. We want to work with the administration and faculty and be brutally honest in a way that stir up concern and force change. Two examples include a push for reinstatement of academic break from 1-5pm on Wednesdays and more administration support for rallying together around athletics. However, at the end of the day any organization is still run by people, and we need to hold those people accountable for improving Stevens. This will instill confidence in the student body that even if there are issues, the people with the power to fix them will put forward the effort to do so.
Jon Darlak and Tim Barrett
1) Why should you be the next SGA President and Vice-President of Operations?
I [Jon Darlak] have the hunger to fight for what the students want and what is best for us as a whole. I have previous leadership experience in chairing the Campus Life Committee this semester and the Municipal Affairs Ad-Hoc Committee, just to name two. I have great relations with faculty and staff here at Stevens from being a Pre College RA twice, an Orientation Leader and a Peer Leader. I like to think that I am a familiar face on campus and enjoy catching up with people whenever I can even if it’s only for a few minutes on our way to class. Understanding one of my main responsibilities being external relations, I would continue to be that friendly face on campus that people can associate with the SGA and feel comfortable approaching about any concerns with their college experience.
I [Tim Barrett] believe that the most important aspect of a well-run organization is high morale and positive interaction within a group in order to get things done and done well. I pride myself on being open to constructive criticism and always try to invoke friendly competition between teammates, whether it be a sport, game, or in this case, a team of senators. As a senator, I’ve served on the Budget Committee and the Campus Life Committee each for one year. In both, I’ve felt comfortable speaking up and playing devil’s advocate, but most importantly letting others know that my ideas are always open to be challenged.
2) What do you hope to accomplish in your first month?
As President of the SGA, I [Jon Darlak] plan to have expanded my administrative network multiple times over by this point. A big part of this position is knowing who to have a meeting with when pursuing an initiative or dealing with a problem that needs fixing. I’d like to have established a manageable weekly routine of deliverables and expectations of faculty, administration, and the SGA Cabinet. I am exercising this now as the Chair of the Campus Life Committee by utilizing the tool of delegation and trusting my committee members to do their jobs. I’d also like to see the Cabinet multiply their network too because I am really only as successful as the sum of our parts. Being in that organized state, I can concentrate on the tasks I’m responsible for and be a more effective leader. Tangible improvements from a presidency really do depend on the senate as a whole.
I [Tim Barrett] as Vice-President of Operations would aim to model a similar set of deliverables and expectations between senate members and committee heads, except in a more personal manner. In my two and a half years experience here at Stevens as an SGA senator, the most powerful improvements have been made by the closest-knit groups of officials who desire change as a team. I would like to make sure that the senate is working closely together, professionally and personally, to reach goals for initiatives set in front of us.
3) What do you believe the Stevens community lacks and how would you work to fix that?
I [Jon Darlak] feel that we display this mentality that we have to “put up” with something that we don’t like about Stevens. I see a lack of disagreement with action. With regards to what we can change, we should all feel comfortable reaching out to our senators and respectfully demanding that something be done if such a reason is so just. Or better yet, have students come into a senate meeting themselves and address the Student Government as a whole. To fix this issue, I’d love to host a motivational speaker to campus once a year, maybe once a semester. Not the same person every year giving the same life lesson. But I’d bring in people that would get the message across that you and only you are truly responsible for what happens in your life, especially your time here at Stevens. Mental health is a large issue for colleges across the country, and Stevens is not excluded.
I [Tim Barrett] see friends, family, and myself affected by the troubles of depression, anxiety, and other social pressures. I plan to sit in on the upcoming Wellness Task Force meetings in order to learn about new ways to address mental health issues head-on. Also, I will be reaching out to administration to expand upon the CAPS program and, for example, develop supplemental student support, such as a better class scheduling system to reduce stress during the semester.
Mark Krupinski and Alexander Murtagh
1) Why should you be the next SGA President and Vice-President of Operations?
Both of us bring an outside perspective to the Student Government. Combined, we have the lowest amount of time as officials of the SGA. Instead, we’ve remained knowledgeable from the outside and have dedicated time to establishing connections via the various organizations we are involved in on campus including The Stute and Greek Life. By not serving in the SGA, we have remained in touch with the needs of the average student – not only the needs of super involved students which tend to be overrepresented within the Student Government. We want to focus on the needs of everyday students; things that affect almost every Stevens student on a day-to-day basis. This falls under three pillars: living, learning, and social.
Living: we want to make it less expensive for students to live in Hoboken. We plan to accomplish this by working with realtors and creating a network of students renting their own apartments.
Learning: we want to make it easier to learn and succeed at Stevens. We want to expand the co-op program to all majors and increase its value, add undergraduate TAs to freshman and sophomore courses, and revitalize the connection between students and faculty.
Social: we want to make it easier to get involved on campus, whether you’re a 5th year looking to stay involved on campus, or someone who’s looking to get involved on campus for the first time.
2) What do you hope to accomplish in your first month?
Within the first month, we hope to lay the groundwork for one of our largest, and most important goals: creating less expensive and superior housing options for students in Hoboken. Stevens students struggle with the cost of living in Hoboken and the surrounding areas and we want to create a partnership with realtors and foster connections between students who choose not to spend a large amount of money by renting in Stevens Leased Housing. We also plan to fix two “restrictions” regarding students who can participate in RSO events immediately upon taking office so it may be in effect for this upcoming May. We will allow students in the co-op program to choose which week they are eligible for senior week activities – their 4th or 5th year – so they have the opportunity of enjoying senior-specific activities with their friends. We will allow undergraduate students planning to pursue a Master’s degree at Stevens to be eligible for all SAF-funded events (i.e. Entertainment Committee, RSO Events) if they choose to pay the student activity fee. This will increase their sense of community on campus and allow individuals to stay involved for a 5th year. We also wish to make progress on all of our academic initiatives including undergraduate TAs, the co-op program, and student-faculty connections. While not directly accomplishable by ourselves, we wish to work closely with the Speaker and Parliamentarian to ensure Robert’s Rules are being followed to ensure speedy and productive meetings for everyone.
3) What do you believe the Stevens community lacks and how would you work to fix that?
The main thing we feel the Stevens community, which we will define as the undergraduate student body – the base the Student Government represents, lacks are enough resources for the average student to succeed at Stevens. We want to make it easier for students interact with administration, pursue their life goals and interests, and frankly, get stuff done. Our aforementioned initiatives will help everyone get more out of their Stevens experience, whether it’s providing them with more opportunities with the co-op program or making it easier to get involved on campus in a club. However, we also feel that it is difficult for students to interact with administration; specifically when dealing with billing and academic advisement. We want billing and financial aid policy to be easily accessible – including the amount of classes you are allowed to take before being billed as a graduate student, as well as implementing training for academic advisors to ensure that you can succeed academically and get help with your future career aspirations.
When considering who to vote for, think about changes you want to see at Stevens and which candidates seem most qualified to do that for you. According to the SGA’s bylaws, the winning pair will “assume office and be sworn in at noon on the first day of the Spring Semester”. Make sure to take a moment and vote at stevens.edu/vote. Good luck to all the candidates running!
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