Candidates vying for SGA president made their cases for how to best increase communication between UVM’s student body and administration at a debate on Thursday, March 27.
Junior Liv Bednarik, current vice president, and sophomore Kennedy Connors, current speaker, are running against each other for SGA president. Sophomore Merrick Modun, the current public relations chair, is Connors’ running mate and the sole candidate for vice president.
The debates were held amid an increasingly unpredictable federal landscape, which has led to several campus demonstrations calling for the University to defend student protestors and protect students, faculty and staff from potential visits from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Connors and Bednarik opened the debate by speaking on the role of the SGA president and their goals should they win this week’s election.
“The president of SGA needs to be well known around campus,” Connors said. “They need to be involved in groups. They need to really care. That is everything that I represent.”
Bednarik said she would emulate the current SGA President, senior Mahder Teferra, if she won the top job.
“It doesn’t matter how many students are in our senate meetings if they don’t understand what is happening,” she said. “This is what I admire about President Teferra. She knows how to listen to what the administration has to offer and give a response to the students.”
The presidential candidates were asked about their approach to working with the new UVM President and administration. Bednarik said she would use the role to bridge the gap between the administration and the student body.
“I envision introducing the president to students, club leaders and unions to put them in places to have the conversations that are needed,” she said. “I think having that one person who can relate not only to the students, but also to the University president, is really important.”
Connors cited her participation in the executive committee that interviewed newly appointed UVM President Marlene Tromp as evidence of her experience with bringing students and administrators together.
“We spoke about how important it was to connect her with the students right off the bat,” Connors said. “Although her policies are important, I think that’s another aspect of her life that students want to know. [Students] want to know it’s someone that we can trust.”
The two candidates discussed their respective approaches to working with campus leaders and student activists on campus.
“It is crucial that we have a campus that protects our First Amendment rights and at the same time, students don’t feel antagonized if they speak out,” Connors said.
The SGA speaker said she was also focused on ensuring students understand the University’s rules regarding demonstrations when engaging in activism.
“I think that there needs to be a pamphlet available to students, so if they make a mistake because they didn’t understand the rules of the University, they are not blamed for that,” she said.
Bednarik emphasized the importance of involving student leaders in conversations with the administration.
“I think that getting them in the room is important,” she said. “Why not ask them to come sit down and be in those rooms, and talk to the administration themselves?”
Connors said face-to-face conversation between students and administration would also be a goal of her tenure as president if elected.
“This past week, I reached out to over 500 campus leaders, asking them what their thoughts on the biggest and most pressing issues they’re facing on campus are,” Connors said. “Imagine what we could all do together.”
The current vice president said she saw the power of student-admin unity during the on-campus pro-Palestine encampment last spring.
“I really got to see what it means to be a student liaison,” Bednarik said. “I wasn’t just a figure. I was there helping bridge the two groups together.”
Bednarik spoke about the viewpoint the administration holds when it comes to activism on campus.
“The administration is always going to come from a sense of ‘How is this going to look for UVM and how are we going to keep students safe?’” Bednarik said. “But we really need to change those questions to ‘How are students feeling right now, and what can we do to help ease some of this burden and pain?’”
During the vice presidential portion of the debate, Modun outlined his and Connors’ shared goals for next year should they succeed in this week’s election.
The current public relations chair said he wants to improve student support by expanding mental health resources and education outreach, promoting efforts to prevent sexual violence and increasing transparency in SGA’s day-to-day activities.
“SGA has an incredibly important role in being right between the administration and students,” Modun said. “I think that gives us a lot of leverage and influence in bridging the gap with administration.”
Despite his reserved demeanor, Modun said he is committed to being a leader for all students.
“I’m not the loudest person in every room, but I really make an effort to listen and really understand all the perspectives,” he said.
SGA spring general elections will be held from April 2-4. Besides, president and vice president, all 34 Senate seats are up for grabs. Voting will be held online and in-person in the Davis Center.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 11:28 p.m. on March 31 to better reflect Connors and Modun’s candidacy and clarify Connors’ stance on student protestors.
