The Student Government Association is ready to begin the process of electing members for the 2010-2011 school year; all they need now are for students to vote.

Every year, SGA has a number of students running for various positions including student body president and vice president. 

Rich Ramos, assistant dean of students, feels that SGA is a good way for students to exercise their knowledge of politics in a fun, friendly way.  Ramos also said that this year, the campaign has been changed in order to better fit the student population.

They are creating a group on Facebook where students can see profiles of those running for SGA.

“I want everyone to be able to put a name with a face,” Ramos said.  “That’s why we are creating a Facebook group to promote elections.”

This year, the campaigns will be fully equipped with each student running for an SGA position and a two-minute video. 

The video answers basic questions about what position each student is running for, why they are running and what they intend to do if they are elected to their chosen role.

Being elected to the SGA includes a variety of duties, like going to meetings on a regular basis, meeting with the president and administrators, putting people on campus committees and appointing members to the judicial board. 

“Being an elected official in SGA adds a bit to the student’s schedule, but they do their jobs well,” Ramos said.

Junior Steven Ramsey has high hopes for Simpson and his fellow classmates.  He hopes that he can continue to make a difference by keeping a place in student government. 

This year, Ramsey will be running for student body president.  He thinks this position really holds a special value in the SGA program.

Although this is just one of his topics to discussing during his campaign, Ramsey said it’s important to keep students informed.

“I think the main role of SGA is to provide an avenue for students to voice their opinions, so that’s what my campaign is majorly about; just trying to find out what matters to Simpson College students,” Ramsey said.

Sophomore Paul Salais will be running for junior class senator after serving on SGA this year. “I want to make sure everyone is able to share their positions and that their voices may be heard one way or another,” Salais said.

Applications for student government positions were due April 7.Voting will take place online Friday – Sunday, April 16-18.