For many students, the face of the SGA is largely a white one. But that could change after this year’s election with the marked rise in minority candidates running.
At least seven executive candidates are minorities, in contrast to the current, largely homogenous Student Government Association Executive Board and Executive Cabinet. According to estimates by current SGA leaders, at least three students on the current 13-member board and cabinet are minorities, all of whom have Asian American backgrounds, and the only two black students in the SGA are legislators.
This year, three senior vice presidential candidates have African American backgrounds, and an Asian American and a Hispanic student are running for vice president of academic affairs. There are also two other Asian American candidates, including presidential hopeful Jahantab Siddiqui.
Minority candidates stress they aren’t running solely to increase diversity in SGA ranks, but they do hope to bring a range of perspectives that will increase the SGA’s ability to serve the student body.
“I haven’t necessarily gone around saying, ‘Hey, I’m the half-black, half-Italian running,'” said YOU Party vice presidential candidate Jason Lewis, the current Denton Community Legislator, who is mostly promoting his leadership skills. But Lewis said the SGA does need more diversity, and he is hopeful this year’s elections will improve that.
Many candidates pointed out the racial makeup of the SGA doesn’t reflect the student body. In fall 2005, 12.5 percent of undergraduates were African American, 13.7 percent were Asian American and 5.7 percent were Hispanic. White students accounted for 56.8 percent of the undergraduate population.
“The students affected [by the campus issues] aren’t all white male, and that’s what the SGA is this year,” said Results Party vice presidential candidate Chaz Ball, who is black. Issues such as police brutality affect black students differently than white students, he said. “It’s hard to understand a person unless you walk in their shoes.”
Among Ball’s planned initiatives is a consortium of student groups, which he hopes will increase communication between members of the diverse student population.
“Having minorities in SGA doesn’t sacrifice the needs of the campus at large, because we’re all students,” added Block Party vice presidential candidate Kyle Carson, who is also black. “But it will bring extra things to the table.”
SGA has traditionally been a white-dominated organization. When 2000-2001 president James Bond first became involved as a freshman, he was one of few black members.
“I felt like a Cocoa Puff in a sea of milk,” he said.
But for three years – before, during and after Bond’s term – there was a sharp increase in minority involvement, with the rise of a party comprised of leaders from cultural groups. Bond was the first black male SGA president in years, said SGA advisor Craig Slack. The last minority president was Filipino American Angela Lagdameo in 2001-2002, but that could change if presidential candidate Siddiqui wins.
Just because SGA members don’t come from diverse racial backgrounds doesn’t necessarily mean the organization isn’t open to issues affecting minority students, said director of student groups, Derrick Pfeffer. For instance, in past years the organization helped students establish an Asian American studies program and get a full-time advisor for the Latino Student Union.
Slack, who has worked with the group for eight years, said the diversity on the campus has been reflected in candidates, but they don’t necessarily get elected.
Many current and prospective SGA members said there also seems to be a lack of interest in the SGA on the part of minority students. Carson was disappointed with the lack of black student turnout at the Monday Black Student Union-sponsored SGA debates, but said he is partly running to bring civic engagement that already exists in the black community into the SGA.
Lack of involvement by minority students is something BSU president-elect Darla Bunting wants to conquer by increasing her organization’s role in the SGA.
“I’m getting involved in student government so I can make sure I’m holding up my end of the bargain,” she said. “This is a two way street.”
Contact reporter Elahe Izadi at izadidbk@gmail.com.
