The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate candidates delivered their campaign speeches via Zoom Thursday.

There are five students campaigning for four senate seats. Voting for the Senate race began Monday and ends Thursday at 4 p.m. 

Lucas Everidge, SGA class of 2021 senator and elections committee chair, moderated the debate and introduced the candidates campaigning for the first seat — senator for non-traditional students. 

“Essentially, non-traditional students have a little more on their plates,” Everidge said. “Maybe they’re parents or they started college late. The non-traditional student senator advocates for those students.”

Imani Cameron, a 23-year-old junior with a three-year-old daughter, is campaigning for the non-traditional student senator seat. 

“When I arrived at Shippensburg, I was amazed at the diversity on campus,” Cameron said. “I wanted to be a part of the diversity, and that’s why I’m running for non-traditional student senator.”

If elected, Cameron said she will advocate for more storage locations for non-traditional students to keep supplies. She also plans to work to provide better child care opportunities for non-traditional students.

“I would like to have lockers in the [Ceddia Union Building] CUB and other locations,” Cameron said. “This would prevent commuters and non-traditional students from returning to their cars between classes.” 

Cameron said she will also propose a cost-effective child care program for non-traditional students.

The program would employ early childhood education majors to watch the children while their parents attend class.

Cady Weibley, the other candidate for non-traditional Student Senator, was not present. According to SGA policy, Weibley must be dropped from the ballot. However, she could run as a write-in candidate if she desired. 

Skyler Walder, a first-year secondary education major in history and member of the female tennis team, is running unopposed to represent female athletics. 

“Some may have concerns with a first-year student holding this position, but I can assure you this isn’t my first rodeo,” Walder said. 

Walder said that being a sports team captain and a class officer in high school prepared her to hold the female athletics seat.

Walder said that being a sports team captain and a class officer in high school prepared her to hold the female athletics seat.

Walder said she plans on using the position to help unify students and student athletes.

“I want to make campus an all-inclusive environment,” Walder said. “We work better together, and I think we can rub off on each other to make the college experience awesome.”

Another candidate running unopposed is Jose Lopez. Lopez, an education major, is campaigning to represent the class of 2024.

“The class of 2024 is one of the most resilient of the century,” Lopez said in his speech. “We graduated high school during a global pandemic and in the midst of a racial movement that will define our nation.”

Lopez founded “Books of Hope,” a nonprofit that donates books to children’s hospitals. Since its founding in 2018, Books of Hope has donated more than 15,000 books to hospitals across the nation. Lopez plans on bringing the nonprofit to campus. 

“We have a great education program, and I think we can impact even more people across the country,” Lopez said. “As a campus, it will help us out and create good publicity.”

To finish off the campaign speeches, class of 2022 candidate, Kevin DelaCruz, delivered his speech.

DelaCruz spoke about racial inequality and his hopes for combating it on campus during his speech. 

“I’ve talked to African American students who say they don’t always feel welcome on campus,” DelaCruz said. “It shouldn’t be that way. We all came to Shippensburg to be a community.”

DelaCruz is currently working to host a discussion between students and local police departments. His hopes are to have Shippensburg, Chambersburg and Carlisle police departments present for students to interact with.

“I believe there’s a disconnect between local police departments and campus,” DelaCruz said. “We all have different things to say, and I think both sides meeting will help bridge that gap.”

Students should have received an email from Lori Laughlin with a link to the election and directions for voting Monday morning.

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