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THURSDAY March 24, 2011
WINTHROP UNIVERSITY
Issue 22
Candidates kick off campaign Garvin, Sapp address parking, budget cuts; Kroboth encourages students to vote JONATHAN MCFADDEN mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com
Experience the change. That was the message that rang out during the official campaign kickoff for student-body presidential candidate Kambrell Garvin and vice presidential candidate Kaitlin Sapp on Monday. About three dozen students gathered around Byrnes at 6 p.m. to listen to Garvin and Sapp give their views on parking, increases in tuition and a transparent student government. Before the campaign, Garvin and Sapp’s supporters hovered. “I think they’re great,” said Jimmy Graham, senior psychology major. “He [Garvin] already has leadership experience.” Adrian Price agreed. “He has it,” said Price, a freshman international business major who is working with Garvin and Sapp on their campaign. “I feel like he’s already fit the position before he started running.” Campaign committee member Melody Lewis greeted Garvin prior to the kickoff with a “I’m voting for you, Kambrell.”
“He’s a good leader,” said Lewis, senior integrated marketing communication major. “He’ll do his best for this campus.” Alongside Garvin is Sapp, who is the only vice presidential candidate. But this doesn’t guarantee that she will take the office. She still has to get 50 percent of the votes plus one. Sapp received her own share of supporters at the rally. Ashley Sineath, sophomore interior design major and annual member of CSL, came out to support both Sapp and Garvin. She said she has worked closely with both of them on CSL and currently working on their campaign committee. “I’ve seen all the work that they’ve done for the school already and I feel that they can handle these big jobs on campus,” Sineath said. Big jobs, indeed. Garvin and Sapp plan to improve parking and lobby legislators in Columbia making higher education budget cut decisions. “Our tuition is going to increase next year,” Garvin said. To drive his point home,
Above: CSL vice presidential candidate Kaitlin Sapp and presidential candidate Kambrell Garvin listen as their opponent Timothy Kroboth encourages students to vote in the election. Kroboth is running for CSL president. Left: Garvin and Sapp asked students to sign their “Experience th Change” poster in support of their campaign. Photos by Claire VanOstenbridge • vanostenbridgec@ mytjnow.com Garvin told listeners about his own experience with signing a contract with The Courtyard for the fall and having no idea of how much money he’ll have to pay. “We’ll be leading a campaign to talk to our mem-
bers in both the state government and national government about ways in which we can lower tuition,” Garvin said. One student voiced concerns about how Garvin and Sapp planned to improve parking.
Their answer: evaluate the parking situation on campus and try to improve the security conditions in the lots around campus. “We’re going to ask questions and figure out the logic behind it,” Garvin said.
Sophomore math major and current member of CSL Andre Isaac asked Garvin and Sapp how their other responsibilities around campus could interfere with their candi-
See CSL page 4
Students empowered to elect CSL leaders CLAIRE BYUN byunc@mytjnow.com
Winthrop students will participate in the first democratic election in 10 years this semester. President and vice president positions for CSL are open for election by the student body. This is the first time a democratic election has been held since the dissolve of Winthrop’s previous student government, nearly a decade ago. The Winthrop Student Government Association (SGA) was dissolved in November 2001, due to a lack of student interest and participation. An ad hoc committee, now known as the Council of Student Leaders (CSL), was formed at the request of Frank Ardaiolo, vice president
for student life. CSL was created to fulfill SGA’s responsibilities, and in Nov. 2002, Winthrop’s Board of Trustees recognized CSL as the official vehicle of student governance. When first formed, CSL was composed of the nine students left over from SGA, as well as then-current leaders of the Resident Students’ Association, Dinkins Student Union, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and the National Pan-Hallenic Council. Dissenting opinion on student government came to the surface during Feb. 2010, according to a Feb. 2010 issue of The Johnsonian. Current student Devang Joshi, who was a junior at the time, created a Facebook group. The group, called “A Real Voice
Questions? Contact us at editors@mytjnow.com Serving Winthrop since 1923
for the Students,” united other Winthrop students who had an issue with CSL’s structure. Members of the group attended CSL meetings, and both sides were open to discussion. Sydney Evans, then and current chair of CSL, suggested a democratic election for president and vice president, while keeping a bicameral legislature for the rest of CSL. Joshi’s Facebook group evolved into the Winthrop Student Congress, a group petitioning membership in CSL. During her re-election as CSL chair, Evans said her goal was to erect some kind of election commission by the time she leaves office, according to an April 2010 edition of The Johnsonian. On the same night of her re-election,
For videos of the candidates and more information visit:
the Winthrop Student Congress was chartered by CSL during a weekly meeting in April. Group members said they did not want to work against CSL, but wanted cooperation to benefit Winthrop as a whole. Nearly two semesters later, Evans and other proponents of a student election are meeting their goals. The new democratic elections are open to all students, with three presidential candidates and one vice presidential candidate to choose from. Voting will take place March 31 and April 1, via an online system. Visit winthrop.edu/csl for more informatin on the candidates and to vote.
mytjnow.com/csl-election-2011
THURSDAY March 24, 2011
TO VOTE NEXT WEEK, GO TO WWW.WINTHROP.EDU/CSL
Students break new ground in Winthrop democratic election Three students vie for first CSL president position Kambrell Garvin Pictured below
Classification: Sophomore Major: Political Science Minor: African American Studies & Sociology Hometown: Columbia, S.C. Age: 19 Time at WU: Two years Leadership Experience: I have been with CSL since Fall 2009 as representative for the NAACP. Q. What made you decide to apply for the position of student body president? A. “I started talking to my peers and listening to their issues.” He said he thinks the student body needs someone who will go to the board meetings and represent them. Q. How do you plan to frame your campaign? A. “I have several events planned throughout the election process, and there are going to be different opportunities for the student body to interact with me.” Included in his 10-day campaign, Garvin, along with other candidates, will participate in a forum that will give students the opportunity to voice their concerns to the candidates and ask any questions. Garvin will also eat lunch in Thomson with the student body and take part in a celebration at Scandal’s to thank students for participating after all the votes have been cast. “If students aren’t taking it seriously, students still aren’t taking ownership. That’s what this campaign is about — students taking ownership.” Q. How do you plan to win students’ votes? A. “I listen to people. I listen around campus to see what students want to see done better.” “…I’ll let (students) know what I want to do to make their lives better for the next two or three years, or however long they’re students at Winthrop.” Q. On what platform do you plan to base your campaign? A. “I want to create a more transparent student government. I believe that CSL must be connected to the students and students must be connected to CSL.” “I will lead a student-driven campaign to encourage our lawmakers to stop making cuts in higher education; I believe most people believe that high tuition should not limit education.” • Parking: “I’ve talked to commuter and resident students; both believe the other has better parking compared to what the other has.” “I want to make more parking spaces available at the student center and the West Center.” Garvin seeks to improve communication between various campus clubs and organizations and research the potential of instituting a late-night volunteer student escort service from parking lots. • Legal advice: One novel idea he plans to introduce is giving each student 30 minutes of free legal advice per year from a local attorney. “Students potentially get in trouble and they have folks at the university they can talk to, but not an actual attorney.” • Other platforms: •Freshman to sophomore retention •Improved communication between various campus clubs and organizations
If you are elected president, what will be the first item or objective on your agenda? A. “Tuition is going to be a top priority. If you talk to anyone on campus, it’s hurting our pockets.” Garvin wants to encourage more students to participate politically, especially when lawmakers in the state are deciding their academic futures. “We’ve got to equip our next generation to lead our country.” Q. What do you feel that you have to offer that’ll make you the right candidate for presidency? A. “One thing I always take with me is the idea of fervent leadership. Often, you find people in leadership positions that believe they’re on a different level when it comes to interacting with people. They go to their ivory castle and they just stay there.” “My idea is going out there, talking to the student body and figuring out what they want to see done.” “I think I’ve established good relationships on campus and community service. I just think we need someone who can submit to the student body — who has energy and enthusiasm.” Q. How does it feel knowing that you are making history by running in the first student-wide, democratic elections in 10 years? A. “That’s a big deal. I’m taking this issue quite seriously. If you just look at the events I have planned — if you look at my platform, this is absolutely a momentous time for a campus and for a community and for the university as a whole.” “We want to get as many students out to vote — as many students out to this race. Hopefully, this enthusiasm we generate from this campaign will be the purpose for students to get more active, not only in CSL, but other organizations.” “This campaign is much more than Kambrell Garvin; this campaign is about the student body. This campaign is how we’re going to move our university forward into a new decade.”
Lone vice-president Kaitlin Sapp Pictured at far right
Classification: Sophomore Major: Integrated Marketing Communication Hometown: Salisbury, N.C. Age: 20 Time at WU: 3 semesters Other Colleges: Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Penn. (1 semester) Leadership Experience: Secretary of CSL, involved since Jan. 2010 Q. What made you decide to apply for the position of vice chair? A. “In high school, I was really involved in student government my whole four years. I was secretary my junior and senior years.” “I love Winthrop and I feel like it’s a great campus, but I feel there are a
lot of things that can be changed to benefit the students, the faculty, the surrounding community of Rock Hill. I feel like this is kind of happening for me to do that — for what I want to get out of Winthrop and show other people that.” Q. How do you plan to frame your campaign? A. “I’m basically focusing it a lot on getting people out to vote. I think that’s going to be huge in continuing this election process, because that’s why it stopped in the first place: no one voted, no one ran. We really need to get people involved.” “I’m working with Kambrell. You can’t run as a ticket so someone could vote for me and vote for one of the other candidates, but Kambrell and I are doing a lot of events
together. I rea what he wants been good frie through CSL. extremely qua job.”
Q. How do y win student A. “I’m not su they’re going t up, where they for me or not v so it would be of affirmation ing that the st already has se through CSL a confidence in less of whethe other candida
Q. On what p do you plan your campai A. “It’s pretty same [as Kam making the wh locations a bet I feel like all th
Timothy Kroboth Pictured right
Classification: Junior Major: Political Science and Economics Minor: International Studies Hometown: Charlotte, N.C. Age: 21 Time at WU: 3 semesters Other colleges: University of Kentucky and American University at Cairo, Egypt Leadership Experience: College of Arts and Sciences CSL Representative, Global Learning Initiative (GLI) Committee Q. Why did you decide to apply for the position of president? A. “I feel like it’s important to have a good number of candidates, especially since this is the first election in a number of years. I wanted to be a candidate in order to actually represent what the students want. I’m asking students what the one thing is that they want to change at Winthrop.” “I want to communicate with people and ask what they want to see here.” Q. What issues will you focus on, if elected? A. “In terms of changing parking, I’m not sure that’s something I can change for sure. But I’d definitely like to work on extending the hours of the library and computer labs, maybe keeping them open for 24 hours. I realize that may be a highend objective for right now, but that’s one thing for sure I’d like to change.” “I don’t have a car because I’m an econ major, and so I feel like I’m on an island. But I’d like to give students the type of program where they can rent a car for an hour or two, if they have a student I.D.” “I’d like to work with GLI and leaders on campus to encourage global awareness events on campus, especially global culture events. I’d like to promote opportunities to go abroad…It’s actually really easy to go abroad, and I’d like to work with the International Center.” “I’d also like to promote the National Student Exchange, where you can go to over 200 other American
colleges at the throp’s tuition “It might so I’m in office fo ously can’t get but I can at lea
Q. How do y student vote A. “I’m going one-on-one. I’ individually to them what’s th changed. My e there, and the ever they wan “It’s a lot ea to vote when y flyer in your h
Q. What ma
VOTING BE
Pages 2 - 3
Watch video of candidates and find more content at www.mytjnow.com/ csl-election-2011
Reporting by:
Typography by Alex Miles
Claire Byun byunc@mytjnow.com Jonathan McFadden mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com
Graphic by Shatesha Scales Photos by Claire VanOstenbridge
tial candidate advocates for CSL transparency
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you plan to ts’ votes? ure how to have it set y could vote vote for me e like a vote n. I’m hoptudent body een my work and has that me, regarder there are ates or not.”
platform to base ign? much the mbrell’s]; hole SACS altter process. he organiza-
tions, even if you’re not requesting SAC funding, you should be knowledgeable about that process.” Parking: “Ever since I’ve been on CSL, we’ve talked about parking. My personal position on that is that the lots should be better. They should be paved, they should be more welllit. Our emergency [call] boxes should be there.” “We can do so much as to contacting people as to urging them this should be a priority for them but, if it’s not or if there’s something else in the way that’s keeping back that process, then they have to understand that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Parking lots don’t get paved in two days.” Transparency: “We would like to see more students at meetings,
e same price as Winn. “ ound like a lot, but if or a year, then I obvit all these things done, ast get the ball rolling.”
you plan on winning es? to be campaigning ’ll be handing out flyers o students and asking he one thing they want e-mail address will be ey can e-mail me whatnt changed.” asier to remember how you have a physical hand.”
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voicing their opinions. If they have issues, they come straight to CSL.” Q. If you are elected vice president, what will be the first item or objective on your agenda? A. “The vice president works with the SAC [Student Allocations Committee] funding and that money is allocated to student organizations and they go through a process to get that money. That money can’t be touched. It’s not one of those things where we say, ‘Oh well, the Winthrop economy is not doing well so we’re going to take it out of that fund.’ It’s set, which is awesome.” “One of the things I would like to see done is that it completely go paperless — everything online.”
Q. What do you feel that you have to offer that will make you the right candidate for the vice presidency? A. “Well, I’ve been involved with CSL since I’ve started Winthrop. I also have that background experience in high school. “I’ve learned that I’m not as much of an extrovert as I thought I was going into this process, but I think that’s a really good thing to have, especially with running with Kambrell; we balance each other out so well. We work together and we have sometimes totally different viewpoints, but I think that’s what we need in a president and vice president.” “I think I’ve shown that as being in the position of secretary. Being at every meeting, just being dedicated, I think is the main thing. I think that shows.
Clifton Totherow
Pictured bottom right Classification: Junior Major: Psychology/Philosophy Hometown: Fort Mill, S.C. Age: 23 Time at WU: 3 semesters Other colleges: University of Colorado, Metro State University, Phoenix University Leadership Experience: President of Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Historian of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Manager at UPS, Recruiter at Pinnacle Security. Q. What made you decide to apply for president? A. “I’ve had good experiences here for the most part. I haven’t been entirely happy, though. They take a lot of shortcuts. Some shortcuts are necessary. They don’t have the biggest budget in the world, but a lot of them aren’t so necessary.” “There’s a lot of places that Winthrop is trying to excel and making progress with, but there’s also places where there’s not a whole lot going on.”
candidate for president? A. “My diversity, in terms of having been to Kentucky and Cairo, as well as experience in terms of being on CSL two years ago and other organizations on campus. My leadership experience and diversity is what makes me the right candidate for this position.” Q. What are you most excited about concerning the election? A. “I’m excited about the actual election, and getting students interested in the election. That’s the reason why it was sacked years ago: nobody cared, and nobody voted. The most important thing is having people caring, and making people realize there’s a candidate out there who actually wants your opinion.”
EGINS 3.31.11
Q. How do you plan on framing your campaign? A. “I’m going to do as little as possible — spend as little money as possible. $125 can go a long way.” “I’m expecting people to get up there and start talking about what their agenda is, but that’s not what that job is. I’m going to spend my time finding out what the majority of the community wants to see done and pursue that, rather than just my own goals. “ Q. What are your qualifications for this position? A. “I love challenges and I hope this is a challenge, I hope it won’t be terribly easy. If this was an easy job I wouldn’t be applying for it because then I’d know that any Dick, Harry and Tom could do just as good a job as me. But since it’ll be a challenge I feel as though I can excel at it.” Q. How do you plan to win student votes? A. “There’s no better advertisement than word of mouth, but
I’m not really going all out for campaigning. I don’t really like campaigning. For me, it’s a waste of time and money.” “If people have the facts, that’s all they should need to vote. I’m going to take this position to make Winthrop, as a community, better.” Q. What makes you the right candidate for president? A. “I don’t know if anyone can say they’re the right candidate, even if they’re elected. Time will tell; when you’re done with office and can see what you’ve done and haven’t done. That’s when you know.” “I just know that I’m qualified and can handle it. If one of the other candidates is more qualified than me, I hope they win; I want the best person for the job to get the job. I just don’t want somebody who is only trying to put it on their resume to get the job, and then stall Winthrop’s progress.”
Q. How does it feel knowing that you’re making history by running in the first democratic election in a decade? A. “I’ve always made history, so it’s nothing new. When I was president of RYLA, I more than tripled our membership and doubled our funds; they’re still doing really well today. Everywhere I’ve had my hand in things, I’ve done the best I could.” Q. What issue will you focus on, if elected? A. He proposes a new office made up of paid student positions called Voice Out, Be Heard. His proposed webpage will contain several surveys for students to point out the issues they feel are important. “It’ll make sure student concerns don’t go unnoticed. Especially on a small campus, student opinion should weigh a little bit more.”
THURSDAY March 24, 2011
4
THE JOHNSONIAN
Candidates use resources to build own campaign CSL • from front dacy. Sapp, who is already in CSL, said becoming vice president would only extend her responsibilities. Garvin, who is involved with several organizations, said he feels his connections with diverse groups are an asset to his viability as a president capable of truly engaging the student body. Another attendee at the rally was Timothy Kroboth, one of Garvin’s opponents for presidency. Though he said he feels he’s the most qualified candidate, Kroboth has more than just winning the election in mind. ‘The most important thing is not whether me or Kambrell wins but that you guys turn out and vote,” Kroboth told the crowd. “You need to actually participate in this otherwise the administration is going to pull the plug on this.” Presidential candidate Cliff Totherow began using the daily student announce-
ments to promote his campaign. In his first announcement, sent on March 22, Totherow explained his plans to create a forum called Voice Out for students to complain or make suggestions. With 10 days left to campaign before votes are cast, Garvin and Sapp plan on making public appearances at Starbucks, the DiGiorgio Campus Center and communicating with students via their Facebook page. “Feel free to change your profile pictures to our campaign flier, especially during Election Day,” Garvin said. By kickoff’s end, the signatures from supporters filled a red banner etched with, “Experience the Change,” Garvin’s and Sapp’s campaign slogan. Students can get more information about Garvin, Sapp and their campaign on the duo’s Facebook page, “Experience the Change: Kambrell and Kaitlin 20112012.”
Do you like money? Make us and yourself some. We’re looking for an ad manager and ad representatives for next year. Contact Claire Byun at byunc@mytjnow.com for more information.