Candidates running for positions in the Student Government Association delivered their campaign speeches last Monday in Brenton Student Center.

Junior Kaela Phillips, who ran for vice president of the student body, was one of them.

“I want to show we actually do stuff,” Phillips said.

Phillips wants SGA to be known not just for its delegation of finances, but also be recognized for its merits and contributions to campus.

“Under the leadership we have right now, they’ve done an amazing job pushing us beyond just a ‘budget senate,'” Phillips said. “I want to be able to continue that push for more than just a ‘budget senate.’ [I want people to think], ‘you actually did this – you helped with Campus Day, you set up a barbecue before homecoming.'”

She also wants to continue to utilize SGA committees.

“I want to continue with using committees and making them drive to a purpose,” Phillips said. “Right now we have committees and they just get together maybe once a month and kind of talk about things. I want each committee to have a goal and work to that goal each semester and that’s one thing the vice president oversees.”

As one of this year’s Greek Week Co-Chairs, Phillips said she has been able to draw upon her experiences in that position.

“It caused me to see how important it is to be unbiased and fair – that is needed in a Vice President,” Phillips said.

However, junior Andrew Mitchell also ran for vice president, and he seems to have good proposals as well.

“I’m a pretty strong motivator and a people person,” Mitchell said.

The fact that Simpson students leave campus for the weekend is an area Simpson can improve according to Mitchell.

“Weekend retention is always something I think is interesting,” Mitchell said. “There are always so many empty parking spaces on campus on Friday and Saturday nights. It would be interesting to find a way [to get more people to stay on campus.] I think CAB has done an awesome job with what they’ve been doing. I just think there has to be something more that we could do.”

Seeing more campus participation from the residence halls is another goal Mitchell had.

“I want to see more participation in residential halls,” Mitchell said. “During Homecoming Week you see a lot of group participation which is great, but I think that it would be awesome to figure out a way to work with residential halls, especially the freshmen places.”

Other candidates expressed what an enjoyable time they had serving on SGA this year.

“I got to see where the money went [to different organizations] and it was cool to be a part of,” freshman Emily Salberg, running for the sophomore class president and also senator, said.

For others, this was the first time they had run for a position on SGA at Simpson.

“I want to get more involved in groups and in school and meet more people,” sophomore Abby Garvin, running for the junior class president and also a senator, said.

Elections had not taken place yet by the time of publication.