Student Body President Candidate: Chazzlyn Jackson

Q: What is your platform? 

A: “I am dedicated to a climate of inclusivity, advocacy and wellness. I want to enhance the student life experience through social equality and inclusion, mental health and sexual assault awareness.”  

Q: Why should people vote for you?

A: “I came into Kent swinging! Activation is one of my strengths. When something is unjust or unsettling, I have to act. I have to help others. It is really important to me to help better the world. I have the passion and I have the knowledge. I know the action steps on how we can all be agents of change. When you have the knowledge and resources it is your responsibility to help people. Kent campus resources need to be used to help students.” 

Q: What changes are you looking to enact? 

A: “I am big on action steps. I want to continue the momentum off BLM. We don’t settle. We will continue and expand work with the Anti-Racist Task Force. We will work closely with the Diversity and Identity Center under Student Affairs. We need to raise awareness of sexual assault. From my position as president, a lot of initiatives would be expanded upon. The university has many resources for dealing with it after the fact. We need the same amount of resources for deterrence and prevention.”

Director of Academic Affairs Candidate: Brandon Allen

Q: What is your platform?

A: “As Director of Academic Affairs, I will ensure that the students’ academic needs and concerns are heard by the administration and that their voices are accurately represented. I want to promote policies and ideas that will strengthen and enhance our liberal arts education. I want to bring to the administration’s attention innovative ideas that will help reduce the cost of college.”

Q: Why should people vote for you? 

A: “Considering my experience as a senator, I understand the position and the work it will take to accomplish it. I have been in multiple majors and I understand the needs of the student body. I can articulate those needs to the administration.”

Q: What changes are you looking to enact?

A: “My main priority is just to advocate for more affordable education. If I see that there are gaps in what the administration is seeing and thinking about I would like to point their attention to that and to advocate for a reduction in spending in certain areas that I feel are not as helpful to the student body as a whole. I want to prepare the upcoming senators better than what I think they have been prepared for in the past and I think with better leadership the senators could be more effective.”

Director of Marketing and Communications Candidate: Kristyn Hibbett 

Q: What is your platform? 

A: “I want to make sure KSU students have info about other organizations’ events in a timely manner. Make them want to go! During the pandemic, students are not really participating. Students are missing opportunities. We need to show students new opportunities coming their way.” 

Q: Why should people vote for you?

A: “I have a lot of leadership opportunities. I definitely have the skill levels and the communication skills to hold the position. I will present new opportunities to students in a way that will be helpful.” 

Q: What changes are you looking to enact? 

A: “I don’t know if I’ll call them changes, but improvements. As a student, I only see events that I’m a part of. I want to find a way to display other people’s [organizations] so students can have a chance to see them.”

Director of Governmental Affairs Candidate: Erik Gomez 

Q: What is your platform? 

A: “Inclusion: students from different backgrounds with different perspectives will be included on the board. Advocating: students come first. Positive change: I’ll push for more voter registration. We will continue civil discourse for open communication for our common goal.”

Q: Why should people vote for you?

A: “I believe students should vote for me. I have a record of getting things done. As the senator for residence halls, I worked with the COVID dashboard; we got a lot of information to students. We also have a 1 percent positivity rate. I have a track record of getting things done. I am very passionate about putting student workers first.”

Q: What changes are you looking to enact? 

A: “Governmental Affairs has a lot of set rules. We need to be faster with some things. I will work with the student body president to make sure change is brought up. We need more direct lines of communication with the administration, and it shouldn’t be unique to USG. Students should be able to communicate as well. We need to pay student workers more. I am not here to make promises; I am here to advocate for students.”

Director of Programming Candidate: Alice Fermaintt 

Q: What is your platform? 

A: “I plan on creating intentional programs that educate, advocate and celebrate all students. I plan on incorporating diverse representatives from marginalized groups on campus to ensure that their voices are being included in the discussions of programming. I plan on collaborating with student organizations and departments to expand on their programs that advocate for their community.”

Q: Why should people vote for you?

A: “I believe people should vote for me because I’m incredibly passionate with event planning, leading a team and programming. I also have extensive experience in it; last year I was a director of programming for Kent Interhall Council so I planned major events like Sex Week, Recycle-Palooza and many other campus-wide programs. So, I know the ins and outs of programming, same with contracting high-list celebrities like RuPaul’s Drag Race Queen Tatiana. I understand what that contracting process is like and it is made me very prepared for this.”

Q: What changes are you looking to enact?

A: “I want to change the artist for the concerts, with the artists being more inclusive like LGBTQ+, women and the Hispanic community.

“I would like to expand the programing board from five to 10 people which will expand the diversity of the board.

“I also want to work with other senators and other organizations that actively advocate and celebrate the students they already serve to cosponsor, help fund or collaborate on events.” 

Director of Student Advancement Candidate: Brandon Taylor 

Q: What is your platform? 

A: “As Director of Student Advancement, I will push for three major goals: 1. Advocating for students’ interests, 2. Awareness of student services around campus, 3. Clarity, transparency, kindness and respect.

“As soon as I am re-elected I will work with the administration in a way that projects the student voice at KSU, make sure that every student and student organization knows that USG is a resource available to them, ensure that student conduct hearings are fair and continue to be fair for students, lead in a theme that aligns with our coined motto, ‘Flashes Take Care of Flashes’, and advocate for students’ needs and increase the advancement of student life.”

Q: Why should people vote for you?

A: “In my past two years as a USG Representative:

– Devoted to improving residence life for students, creating a ‘home away from home’ environment.

– Pushed heavy on RA food security, advocacy, diversity, inclusion and equity.

– Discussed with Ohio lawmakers to help increase mental health resources.

– Advocated for students’ sustainability and accessibility concerns.

– Helped inspire creativity with the Student Artwork Initiative.

– Served as the Chair of the Committee on Rules and served on other USG committees.

– Inspired students to create a culture of change, inclusivity and diversity in welcoming all undergraduate students to Kent State University.”

Q: What changes are you looking to enact? 

A: “I will lead in a theme aligned in the motto ‘Flashes take care of Flashes.’ I want to embody that and show kindness to everyone at Kent State. I will work in a way that projects the student voice at KSU. I will also have a closer relationship to students. A lot of students probably don’t know what we do. We are a useful resource.”

Director of Student Advancement Candidate: Camryn Kwiatkoski 

Q: What is your platform? 

A: “COVID-19: it’s going to play a major role next year. From my perspective, I’d like to push for more in-person events with USG or otherwise and other student orgs.” 

“Judicial Advocates program: students get advocates for meetings with the student conduct board. I want to look at the program and see how we can advance it.” 

“Advocate for students: I love Kent and I think students that come to Kent love Kent. I will listen to our students and show them a level of care and empathy.” 

Q: Why should people vote for you?

A: “All the reasons of my platform. I’m a political science major and a dance minor in the College of [the] Arts. I’m actively self-reflecting and actively working to better myself. I am a member of the Provost Leadership Academy. I also live on campus and I am well versed with campus resources.” 

Q: What changes are you looking to enact? 

A: “I don’t necessarily want to change what we’re doing but there are things I want to develop and advance, like my stance with the Judicial Advocate program. We will advance, develop and grow what Kent already has to offer.”

Director of Student Involvement Candidate: Mason Squibbs 

Q: What is your platform? 

“I want to see a free parking lot, free daycare for adult students and free women hygiene products campus-wide. I also want there to be bi-annual STD and HIV testing. We need anti-microaggression training. FYE classes need to include sections on diversity and inclusion. I also want to focus on the mental health of minority groups on campus.”

Q: Why should people vote for you?

A: “Vote for my ideas. I want people to know these things are being talked about. As an adult student, I have experience with the real world.”

Q: What changes are you looking to enact? 

A: “We need to look at what it means to be involved on campus. Involvement is more than concerts and meet-and-greets. I want to make communication cool. I also want students to know what is outside of Kent. Let’s get students to engage outside of campus. STD testing needs to be more readily available to students.” 

Blake Westover covers politics. Contact him at [email protected].

Ashley Blood is a student life reporter. Contact her at [email protected].

Lindsey Vlasic covers entertainment and the arts. Contact her at [email protected].