Donald Wolford

Candidate for Director of Governmental Affairs

What is your platform?

“I’m running a campaign that aims to empower all Kent State students and listen to all student voices. As Director of Governmental Affairs, I intend to take a firm stand against sexual assault, protect resources that serve members of marginalized communities, and advocate for the mental health needs of students. Additionally, given the multiple political skirmishes that have occurred on campus this school year, I intend to explore options that continue to protect the First Amendment rights of all activists while ensuring that demonstrations do not interfere with the proper functioning of campus and do not put any counter-protesters or bystanders at risk of harm. Ensuring safety and order on campus will be two of my top priorities in this position.”

Why should people vote for you?

“I believe that my past and present leadership experiences on Kent’s campus have enabled me to serve as an empathetic and effective advocate for my fellow Kent students. Last year I served as the Event Director of Koonce Hall and the President of Kent’s Freshman Advisory Council, both of which taught me a lot about listening to the concerns of my peers and hashing out solutions to these concerns with the university administration. Presently, I’m serving the Kent chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon as its Vice President of Communications, a position which has helped me to strengthen the interpersonal and advocacy skills that will be absolutely necessary for Kent’s next Director of Governmental Affairs.”

What changes are you looking to enact?

“I intend to pursue the following initiatives if elected: Expand funding for mental health care on campus, incorporate voter registration and basic voting information into Kent’s FYE courses, and ensure greater transparency between the university administration and students. Although we’ve done a good job of breaking down some of the stigma surrounding mental illness on our campus, the university still has a long way to go in terms of ensuring awareness of and easy access to resources dedicated to those who suffer from mental illnesses. As a result, I intend to work with the university administration to ensure that some of our tuition fees go toward a mental health services fund. In order to increase student engagement in public affairs, I also aim to incorporate voter registration and crucial voting information into Kent’s FYE course; this should simplify the unnecessarily-chaotic voter registration process that occurs on Kent’s campus every fall. Finally, I would like to ensure greater transparency in the relationship between the university administration and the student body, a relationship which has been unfortunately damaged through decisions such as this year’s change of meal plan. Overall, I would love to see greater interaction between students and administrators, and I intend to do all I can to break down some of the barriers that separate Kent students from the individuals who decide on university policy.”