Two Student Government Association officials are running for positions on the Oklahoma Student Government Association Board of Directors.
Terrance Craft, SGA secretary of public relations, and SGA President Beatrize Martinez will participate in the election during OSGA’s Spring Congress on Feb. 28 through March 1 at Tulsa Community College – Southeast.
OSGA is comprised of members from Student Government Associations across the state. The organization works with the state legislature to create change throughout higher education in Oklahoma.
Universities can send one candidate for each position on the board and three voting delegates. After candidates speak for five minutes, the delegates will vote on the new president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, public relations director, and regional directors.
OSGA has a student advisory board that meets with the Council of Student Presidents and Board of Directors once a month.
Due to OSGA rules, Craft and Martinez are not permitted to specify what positions they are running for.
Craft approached Martinez and encouraged her to run for a position, Martinez said.
“We are running for positions that are crucial to run together in order to make OSGA work,” Martinez said.
Martinez said that the success of OCU’s SGA will work in their favor.
“In the past two years that we’ve gone to OSGA as OCU, our student government has done a lot more than the other student governments, so we are kind of a model for them,” Martinez said. “We’re hoping that they’ll see that and elect members of the board that have more experience accomplishing initiatives.”
If elected, Craft plans to strengthen communication and encourage involvement among members.
“He definitely wants to inspire the student governments to contribute,” Martinez said. “It’s hard to gauge what we can do if no one voices their concern.”
Current topics discussed among OSGA members are statewide financial obligations and the rules regarding e-cigarettes on college campuses.
SGA Vice President Edgars Boitmanis said Craft and Martinez will have a positive impact on OSGA if elected.
“They have shown a lot of leadership on our campus,” said Boitmanis. “I think that puts them in a good position to show leadership at the state level.”
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