Campaigning for SGA president and vice-president officially began Wednesday evening with two tickets qualifying to appear on the ballot for next week's campus-wide election.
Juniors Stephen Bradshaw and Jordan Locke will vie against each other for the title of student body president. Sophomore Melissa Thompson will serve as Bradshaw's running-mate, and junior Ike Ekeke will run alongside Locke. All four candidates currently hold elected positions on SGA.
Bradshaw and Locke released similar campaign platforms this week detailing what they call "feasible ways" to make Mercer a more sustainable campus and to increase SGA's transparency with the student body.
Locke called his ticket a "progressive approach to making Mercer a better place than it already is." He said his and Ekeke's first priorities will include expanding Mercer's recycling initiative and reinstating the Bear Bike program that allows students to borrow bikes at a free or reduced rate.
"Together, Sen. Ekeke and I have done pretty much everything as far as SGA goes, and we've been involved in a wide range of other leadership activities at Mercer. We love Mercer, and want to see it continue to move forward as an institution," Locke said.
Bradshaw said what he thinks sets his ticket apart are the personality and experience he and Thompson can bring to the table, as well as the way they mesh together as candidates.
"We've both been involved in campus ministries, and I'm not Greek and Melissa is, so we reflect a good mix and will also get along well. It wasn't a political decision to run together," Bradshaw said. "I also don't think we've had a non-Greek student body president in the past few years."
The four candidates will go head-to-head in a debate Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Bear Rock Cafe at the University Center. Students can cast their vote Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. either in the Connell Student Center or online using SGA's electronic voting system.
For more information about the two candidates, or to read their campaign platforms, visit their Facebook pages here and here.
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SGA presidential, vice-presidential election kicks off
