By ABIGAIL SHEARER
Tiger Media Network
Elections for Student Government Association Student Body President and Vice President will take place next week. An email will be sent to all FHSU students on April 1, and voting will be open until 4:30 p.m. on April 2.
Candidates Caden Becker and Olivia Pince, Cade Becker and Anthony Arial, and Marcell Dely and Justus Nelson are the candidates for president and vice president. Each candidate set was asked the same 8 questions. Their responses are below.
President Candidate Responses
Why do you want to run for SGA President?
Caden Becker: I want to run for SGA president so that I can bridge the gap between my fellow constituents and the leadership of FHSU. Growing up in Hays, I was always closely tied to FHSU and knew that I wanted to go here. In my first year and a half here, it has been an amazing experience, and I want to give back not only to the Hays Community but to the FHSU community that has welcomed me and empowered me to achieve great goals!
Cade Becker: I want to run for Student Government because I have identified issues at Fort Hays State University that I want to solve. Students are less engaged, attending university events and athletic events less. Students feel less empowered to share opinions or ideas, they feel as if their opinions do not matter. I want to run to increase engagement, campus involvement, campus culture, and make everyone feel included.
Marcell Dely: I want to run for SGA President because Fort Hays State has given me incredible opportunities, lifelong memories, friends and a new family. For that, I want to give back by making sure every student feels heard and represented. As an international student and student-athlete, I’ve experienced campus from several different perspectives, and I understand that different groups of students sometimes face different challenges. My goal is to bring the whole campus together and make sure SGA is actively working for all students across FHSU.
What other leadership experience do you have that will prepare you for this role?
Caden Becker: Other leadership experience that I have that will prepare me for the role of SGA president includes being treasurer of the Deca chapter here at FHSU, serving as Treasurer of SGA currently, and sitting as an ex officio member of the Allocation and Appropriations committees. Additionally, I have served as an employee that my bosses have consistently looked towards to lead and train others in my jobs I have undertaken.
Cade Becker: I have leadership positions within several organizations and roles. Before college, I was the Vice President of my senior class of Hays High School and achieved my Eagle Scout. My freshman year, I served as the Learning Community chair of Sigma Phi Epsilon and got involved in lots of community service activities. I also began working at Student Engagement, where I developed a lot of my current personal and leadership skills. After that, I became the Vice President of Sigma Phi Epsilon, attended the Kansas Leadership Center, attended Ruck Leadership Institute, along with serving on several committees within Student Government Association; such as being the chair of the Senate Affairs Committee.
Marcell Dely: I served as a Senator for two years, representing the international student body in the Student Government Association, and I’m also involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the president, where we work with the NCAA and the MIAA conference to represent student-athlete voices. I serve as a VIP Ambassador for the Office of the President, part of the Model UN club as an award-winning delegate and official member of Pi Sigma Alpha. In addition, I work as a Global Ambassador in the International Office, helping international students navigate campus life and connect with resources. Through these roles I’ve gained experience working with university administration, organizing initiatives, and advocating for student needs.
How will you ensure that all students are represented in SGA?
Caden Becker: To ensure that all students are represented in SGA is a large task due to the numerous platforms that FHSU offers. However, there have been a decent number of senate seats open on SGA for the past year or two, so there are still organizations and groups that are not being reached adequately with SGA. Should I be elected president of SGA, I would see what all organizations and groups are currently being represented in the senate, and then reach out to fill the open seats with groups that are not currently involved in SGA.
Cade Becker: I will ensure all students are represented by consistently reaching out and advocating for students from of diverse backgrounds and organizations. I do not want to leave out a voice, I believe everyone’s voice matters and decisions should be influenced based on consensus of my constituents.
Marcell Dely: I personally believe equal representation is the key to success and it starts with listening. I want to actively reach out to student organizations, student groups, and campus communities to make sure their concerns are being heard. One way we plan to do this is by meeting people where they are. Our main focus would be on us going to the organizations and be proactive instead of waiting for them to come to us. With this we would be able to increase communication with organizations and encouraging them to share their events and concerns with SGA. By building stronger relationships between SGA and student groups, we can make sure that the voices are heard and that we as SGA do what we are meant to do!
What do you believe are the biggest issues currently for FHSU students, and how are you planning on addressing them?
Caden Becker: Although FHSU is known for its low tuition costs, the Kansas Legislature is making it increasingly difficult to keep those costs low. To combat this issue, I plan to implement more Open Education Resources (OER) to students so that the textbook costs of their classes at least will stay on the lower side. Additionally, I am pushing for sustainability across campus and have heard from several students about the lack of recycling options available in the dorm facilities. Addressing this issue will involve talking with residential life and most likely getting a student poll out to show the value that students see in having available recycling centers. Finally, the last pillar of my campaign is building community across campus. Innumerable organizations at FHSU do an amazing job at their events that they host! However, I believe that with more partnership with SGA, these events can reach more avenues and the community of Hays as a whole.
Cade Becker: The biggest issues at Fort Hays State University reside within engagement and communication. I want to foster better communication between the higher education professionals at FHSU and the student body through a more rigorous PRD platform and stronger advocation. I also want to tackle engagement by encouraging faculty to promote on-campus events, promoting inter-University collaboration, and deepening the new ROAR Board’s (University Activities Board) influence through social media and direct communication. Further, I want Student Government to become more active in reaching out to constituents through polls, conversations, and posts regarding recent meeting discussions or University decisions.
Marcell Dely: Some of the biggest issues that students face today are feeling disconnected from campus decision-making processes, access to resources, and a strong community. There is a natural separation between certain student groups and the student body in general. We want to focus on improving communication between students and SGA and between student organizations, by supporting organizations, promoting events, and helping build a stronger campus community where students feel involved and supported.
If elected, what would be your top 3 priorities for the student body?
Caden Becker: My top three priorities for the student body are what make up my slogan: Sustainability, Affordability, & Community. Sustainability deals with keeping the campus clean and pushing green initiatives. Affordability deals with keeping tuition costs low, especially textbook costs. Community involves bringing together the communities across campus.
Cade Becker: My top three would be getting them more involved and engaged, empowering them to feel confident in action and word, and advocating strongly for the students through open lines of communication.
Marcell Dely:
- Improving communication and transparency between SGA and the student body.
- Supporting student organizations and campus involvement by helping them reach more students and grow their impact.
- Strengthening community and inclusion so every student: domestic, international, athlete or non-athlete feels like they belong and are valued at Fort Hays State.
How do you plan to measure whether your initiatives are successful?
Caden Becker: How I plan to measure whether my initiatives are successful will include a monthly check of my progress in each one. Along with that, I will plan to set timelines for what I would like to accomplish by those checkups and work with SGA, admin, and the faculty senate to achieve those goals.
Cade Becker: I will measure the successes through data from offices such as Career Services, Athletics, and Student Engagement. I will also utilize senators to gain even more knowledge on how the culture at Fort Hays is changing. Lastly, I will know when Student Government becomes a better-known name across campus.
Marcell Dely: The only way to really measure success is through the students, people in the community and their engagement and feedback. We want to see increased participation in student organizations, stronger attendance at campus events, and more communication between students and SGA.
How do you plan to work with universities admin, faculty, and other organizations to accomplish goals?
Caden Becker: I plan to work with the university’s admin and faculty by being engaged in various committees, bringing forth student concerns, and working with them to implement plans that help out the student body. With planning to work with organizations, I will reach out periodically to organizations that expressed concerns to me, or ideas for partnership for activities, and help those groups out with their activities.
Cade Becker: I plan on working with university admin through communication, strong advocation, and off of a base of an established relationship. I think one of my largest strengths, are my current ties and relationships with admin and faculty at Fort Hays. I will further develop these relationships and act as a professional advocator for the student body.
Marcell Dely: I believe collaboration is the best way. SGA works best not on its own but with others, like university leadership, faculty, athletics, and all the student organizations. My experience working with different departments on campus has shown me how important communication and cooperation are. I plan to maintain strong relationships with administrators while always keeping students’ interests first.
How would you keep students informed about decisions and activities within SGA?
Caden Becker: I plan to keep students informed about the decisions and activities of SGA by hosting a monthly opportunity for students/organizations to talk with me about any issues they would like to share, or hear about any of the diplomatic issues happening in SGA as well.
Cade Becker: I would keep students informed through regular emails detailing upcoming events and bills. Strengthening the public relations system, making the SGA Instagram more educational. I would also encourage students to come to senate, tell their friends about senate, and attend classes/orientations to further discuss what SGA does.
Marcell Dely: Transparency is the key. We want to use social media, in-person campus outreach, and direct communication with student organizations to keep students informed about what SGA is working on. Our goal is for students to feel like SGA is accessible and that they always know how to reach us with ideas, concerns, or feedback. We would also like to implement an open-door policy, which pretty much means a 24/7 availability through at least one of the platforms.
Vice President Candidate Responses
Why do you want to serve as Vice President of SGA?
Olivia Pince: I want to serve as Vice President of the SGA, so I can help implement initiatives for student concerns that I’ve heard about during my time at FHSU. I am very passionate about fostering an environment where students feel heard and cared for, on and off campus. FHSU offers numerous great opportunities for students, and I want to ensure that all students have the chance to reap the benefits of being a Tiger.
Anthony Arial: The main reason I want to serve as the VP of SGA is because I want to be able to serve people and properly stand up for what is right, leading by the correct principles, not by popularity.
Justus Nelson: I want to serve as Vice President for SGA to be directly involved in improving the campus that I have grown up loving and uplifting the students’ voices who might not always get heard.
What do you believe are the most important responsibilities of the Vice President?
Olivia Pince: The vice president’s largest responsibility is to represent Fort Hays and its student body with honor and integrity. This role demands genuine service by putting students at the center of every decision. Another key responsibility is chairing the Senate and leading meetings. From breaking Senate ties to appointing committee members, the vice president is deeply engaged with the Senate.
Anthony Arial: I believe that the most important responsibilities are advocacy and accountability. The reason why I hold these values important is because ultimately, I am representing the people of Fort Hays State University, and Hays as a whole. Furthermore on accountability, I need to make sure that regardless of where I stand on administration, I need to hold the people above me in check and make sure that all ideas are questioned and thoroughly evaluated before they are properly integrated.
Justus Nelson: While every facet of the office of Vice President is important, I believe that properly managing the weekly meetings is its most important. With that, I also believe that illuminating SGA on campus goes hand in hand with this. Promoting the general student body to participate in SGA ensures that as much of campus is truly being represented.
What leadership experiences have prepared you for this role?
Olivia Pince: Firstly, serving in the Senate has given me a strong foundation in leadership at FHSU. During my time in SGA, I have chaired both the Legislative and Political Actions Committee (LPAC) and the Allocations Committee. These roles demand significant commitment; I dedicated 21 hours to allocations and 16 hours to LPAC in recent weeks. These experiences have refined my communication, public speaking, organization, and time management, key skills for best serving the student body as vice president.
Anthony Arial: The leadership experiences I have are primarily in SGA and Sigma Phi Epsilon. In SGA, I have served in the LPAC, Allocations, SRIC as the chair, as well as Appropriations as the chair. In Sigma Phi Epsilon, I have served as the VP of Membership Development, VP of Finance, as well as various committees focusing on philanthropy and fundraising.
Justus Nelson: Many different small and large-scale leadership positions have prepared me to take on the task of being SGA Vice President. In my youth, I was heavily involved in Boy Scouts, having served not only as a leader in my local troop, but also as the President of our council’s Order of the Arrow lodge. Along with that, I am a nationally trained, certified, and active administrator for resident camps (summer camps and other long-term camping endeavors) in the United States, which has taught me the various complexities about being in a leadership position managing a large-scale operation with numerous different moving parts.
How would you help maintain strong communication between different committees of SGA?
Olivia Pince: One of the ways for committees to stay connected is through committee reports. I would encourage the chairs of the committee (or anyone on the committee) to share anything that they may find important for their fellow senators to know during this time. At the end of each semester, committees could also do a “recap report” of all of the accomplishments they have had, and what we as a unit can do to best achieve SGA goals.
Anthony Arial: My primary way I would focus on communication between the various committees is to allow for more transparency and direct communication of the committees and what they are planning, opposed to just committees reporting to their respective executive members. Furthermore, I will create a system in which committees collaborate more between each other to achieve a common goal.
Justus Nelson: Communication is essential for running an effective administration, and setting active reminders and accountability measures would ensure that communication stays intact. Personally, keeping track of a daily schedule that includes checking e-mails and other forms of communication helps me stay on top of replies and follow-ups. Another simple measure that keeps communication strong is holding everyone in the administration accountable to manage their outreach and replies. In the past, I have made sure to CC people in e-mails that while the specific subject was not necessarily in their purview, it helped to have someone else see that the messages were sent, and be able to have that person keep everyone actively responding in a timely manner.
How would you make sure student concerns are heard and addressed?
Olivia Pince: The best way to ensure student concerns are heard is by simply talking to students. Throughout my campaign journey so far, I have simply asked students, “What concerns do you have about FHSU?” I think that this direct and open communication has allowed students to be honest and feel as though their feedback will be taken into consideration, and that I will get it to the right people to implement change. I will also make sure my email and office hours are well-known to the student body so that I can be an open point of contact. As I have previously stated, the students are the heart of FHSU and SGA, so addressing their concerns is the number one priority.
Anthony Arial: I would make sure concerns are addressed by doing more on the ground work, directly asking constituents, going to student meetings, working to collaborate with higher administration for attendance, or hosting more panels about what they would like to see improved or made better. Oftentimes, online surveys get lost and people don’t feel inclined to address the issues. These concerns also play into our key police of Empowerment. Most students on campus do not feel like they have a voice and that if they speak up they will be persecuted. Thus, it is our responsibility as SGA to ensure that the power is put into the hands of the people.
Justus Nelson: Making sure that the student body is not only heard, but that their concerns are addressed is a core element of Marcell and I’s platform. Being able to meet the students where they are is a key part of that. Students should not have their time to voice their ideas or concerns sequestered to a Thursday night meeting. Having an open door policy, where anyone in the administration is easily accessible for all students helps to not only build rapport and trust between the body and the SGA, but also makes putting plans of action in place quicker and easier.
How do you stay organized when balancing multiple responsibilities?
Olivia Pince: Juggling responsibilities is something I am no stranger to. I am currently involved in three on-campus organizations, as well as two jobs and job shadowing. Google Calendar is truly my best friend. I block out the time I need for work/shadowing/meetings on my calendar, then I plan the rest of my time according to priorities. Being a full-time student, as well as being involved on and off campus, has allowed me to gain experience in being busy but still accomplish everything that needs to be done.
Anthony Arial: The way I stay organized is that I first block off my time to prioritize things that are urgent and need my immediate attention, whether that be classes or my leadership responsibilities. Big tasks can seem big because of what they are, but breaking it into smaller pieces to focus on the necessary steps that you need to take to achieve this bigger goal makes my responsibilities seem smaller and more achievable.
Justus Nelson: As previously mentioned, I keep a daily planner to keep my schedule in check and without conflicts while juggling school, work, activities, and my own personal free time. Along with that, I stay in active communication with my friends and family where I keep them in the loop about what I am doing throughout the week and when, so that just in case something starts coming up that I have forgot about, they are able to remind me.
How do you plan on assisting the President in ensuring that the SGA goals stay on track?
Olivia Pince: I plan on being the president’s right-hand woman. Through effective communication, I will make sure that the president and I check in on one another regularly to ensure goals are being met. I would also like to implement a “goal progress tracker” that would allow me and SGA to keep up with step-by-step progress on our initiatives. Holding one another accountable is very important, and Caden and I are very effective at collaborating and assigning deadlines to our tasks, as well as measuring success by setting small goals to attain the big ones.
Anthony Arial: To assist the President in keeping SGA goals on track, I act as a strategic coordinator by breaking down broad initiatives into manageable, data-driven milestones and maintaining a system for tracking deadlines. I support the executive vision by drafting proposals for university administration, analyzing student feedback to ensure projects remain aligned with campus needs, and crafting clear communication to keep the student body engaged. By providing objective summaries of complex issues and suggesting middle ground solutions during legislative friction, I help the President navigate organizational hurdles and ensure that the cabinet remains focused on delivering tangible results for the student population.
Justus Nelson: Active direct communication with the President about our plans and goals ensures that if things start to get off track, we can remind ourselves on what we previously planned. This extends to all of SGA as well. Open, honest, direct communication about our goals and aspirations keeps everyone on track, and makes sure everyone’s opinions on what they want to do in the future is considered.
If the President were unavailable, how would you step in and lead effectively?
Olivia Pince: If the president were unavailable, my goal is to create a seamless transfer of responsibilities. I will communicate and follow up on any current projects of the president to ensure everyone is informed and understands that I will be filling the presidential role for the time being. I’d check in with the committee chairs and the executive staff to see what they need from me. Maintaining order is very important, and I would maintain this order by looking at the next big projects coming up and prioritizing the things that need to get done first. A significant part of stepping into the presidential role also involves serving as a point of contact for both the administration and students, so I would want to foster an open environment for that. I want FHSU to feel supported and know that there is someone reliable who will keep things running smoothly while the president is unavailable.
Anthony Arial: If the President were unavailable, I would ensure a seamless transition by immediately stepping into the role of presiding officer for the Student Senate, utilizing my understanding of the Constitution and Bylaws to maintain legislative momentum and avoid gridlock. I would prioritize continuity by maintaining open lines of communication with the Executive Cabinet and committee chairs. By acting as the primary communicator to the University administration and the Kansas Board of Regents, I would advocate for student interests with the same approach and professional experience expected of the executive office, ensuring that the student body remains well-represented and that the administration sees a unified, stable front in the President’s absence.
Justus Nelson: If the President was unavailable for just a temporary amount of time, I would ask them for advice on how to lead were they could not for the time being. If it was a long term, permanent departure, I would ensure that our original goals and plans still held true, and keep operating like before, making sure that communication was strong and transparent, and that tasks were evenly distributed so that they may be done timely and effectively.