Pictured above: (From left to right) Nathan Poinsette and Kaiya Huggins are running for governor and lieutenant governor as the “Enough Bull Let’s Get to Work” campaign.
Courtesy of Nathan Poinsette and Kaiya Huggins
By Nathan Poinsette and Kaiya Huggins
Our experience in elections this year has been nothing shy of eventful.
We had the opportunity to meet new people, form new connections, hear concerns and make new memories on top of all of it.
From day one, we have been in tune with one another and how we want to run our campaign and seeing all the support we have received from students has been a huge motivational factor. We are both in agreement that this experience has been a blessing, regardless of the outcome.
Nonetheless, none of this would be possible without our student voters. Voting is such a crucial factor in elections. If there were no voters, there would be no elections.
The reason it is important to vote is that this election will have an impact on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg community. Whoever is voted in will have a say on a lot of things, and it is good to ensure that they listen to the students. One vote could be the decision-maker, so every single ballot counts. Embrace the opportunity given to make your voice #herd.
If we are elected, we plan to primarily focus on the needs of the student body. Our slogan, “Enough Bull Let’s Get to Work,” comes from this exact point. Anyone can say the right things and have politically correct responses, but it is a matter of how you put your words into action.
We have spoken to several students throughout our campaign, and we know the things we want to change are also what the student body wants to see change.
For example, extending The Nest’s breakfast hours is important to ensure every student has a fair opportunity to get breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Extending breakfast hours to 11 a.m. would allow students with early morning classes the ability to get breakfast as well as students who wake up later.
Another one of our campaign goals is to see if extending a meal plan like the Bull Block 32 –– a meal plan that allows a certain number of meal-prep kits –– to St. Petersburg would be possible. We have also been tossing around the idea of food trucks and whether they would be beneficial for students as well.
Our ticket consists of a freshman student and transfer student, so we both understand how stressful the transition can be. Another one of our goals is to bridge the gap between different social groups to promote a more connected campus.
We also plan to add office hours where students can come to us and express concerns in person, or just to have someone to talk to.
To make Student Government (SG) more transparent, we want to increase awareness of our already existing Campus Council meetings. These meetings will be a great environment to have the student body and community ask us questions or voice any concerns to SG. We would also invite our SG officers to the meetings so they can give officer reports of any new business that has occurred for their specific position.
If elected, we promise that students’ voices and concerns will be heard –– we will serve our beautiful campus and student body to the best of our ability.
