The leader of the Student Association’s Finance Committee officially launched his presidential bid Thursday, becoming the first candidate to publicly seek the top post.
Sen. John Bennett, U-At Large, said the top focus of his campaign is to lay claim to student space as the University reshuffles offices across campus this summer.
As departments such as Career Services and the Office for Study Abroad contend for a spot on the recently cleared Marvin Center fifth floor, Bennett said he will reassert students’ right to the spaces left behind in the relocation, if elected.
“There’s going to be a lot of valuable, empty real estate up for grabs and students are entitled to a share of it,” Bennett said, claiming that the student voice has been stifled in University talks about the space. He pointed out that students have lost out as traditional campus hangouts like The Fishbowl, the Hippodrome and WOW Cafe & Wingery boarded up in the last year.
If elected, the junior said he would improve campus safety by overhauling the 4-RIDE shuttle system to more immediately serve students who are alone or feel endangered.
Bennett instead proposed a “triage system” in which students are asked a series of questions about their safety and surroundings to help an operator determine the order in which students are picked up.
“People use it for the wrong reasons,” he said, explaining that the new system would prioritize a ride for one woman relatively far from campus over a group of men walking around campus together.
As president, Bennett said he would ensure that Gelman Library renovations also include smaller details, such as additional study rooms, a proper security detail, bike racks and a vending area – projects that have been brought up in the SA Senate this year but have gotten no traction.
Bennett served as senator for the Elliott School of International Affairs last year, when he was also a member of the finance committee.
Under Bennett’s leadership, the committee has taken a more active approach to its role distributing Student Association funds. This year’s committee has overseen substantial changes to the student organization funding process, implementing a yearlong budgeting timeline and encouraging a self-sustaining revenue flow for groups.
He said his experience on the finance committee in particular has prepared him for the Student Association’s highest spot.
“Being finance chair, I have to know everything about every org on campus,” Bennett said. “I’ve been talking to students and I get the issues.”
The junior is a brother of Beta Theta Pi, a member of the College Democrats, the College Republicans and the International Affairs Society.
Bennett’s announcement comes about a week before the official candidate registration period begins. Students can declare their bids Feb. 8, 9 and 10. Elections will be held Feb. 22 and 23.
Is esteemed Senator Bennett implying that women are more needing of transportation services than men are? Is he saying women are weaker than men, and moreover need to be protected as they are inferior beings?
As someone who is a veteran of GW SA non-sense I can say coming across as sexist is not the best campaign plan, Johnny boy. Perhaps you and Goldstein should rethink this one.
P.S. Bennett has a record of picking losers: Huntsman, The Packers, and The Brewers. Think about it.
Sane Person, are you serious? We’re talking about ONE girl versus a GROUP of guys, and who gets priority. He’s not being sexist, he’s just making sense.
Here in a democracy, what makes sense is a larger group of people being given priority over a single person. Regardless of gender. So thanks for reinforcing my point.
P.S. Did you actually bother to read this article/Bennett’s remarks before you replied to me?
Bringing sports teams into your comment makes you seem very unintelligent.
I don’t know if I would consider The Brewers a real sports team. Its like saying Gelman is a real library.
So you think a girl should have to wait alone for god knows how long for fourride, while a group of people gets priority? gw is not as safe as you think. also, it makes sense that someone going a longer distance should be given priority to someone who needs to go a few blocks, especially when they are in a group and could walk together.
No, Bennett did not say that women would be given priority over men, he said that safety concerns will be given precedence. If a man was walking back home alone far away from campus that would probably constitute more of an emergency than 5 girls walking together very close to campus. DC can be dangerous at night for both men and women.
A member of the college Dems and Republicans??? Sounds like a flip flopper to me. Also, looks like a mouth breather
HAHAH!
College Democrats and College Republicans… Nice campaign strategy
Unfortunately it looks like Bennett is just another pawn in Josh Goldstein’s political machine, albeit a machine that is perpetually on the verge of a breakdown. Boss Tweed and his Tammany Hall associates would be ashamed.
Someone from outside the SA should run.
Absolutely not. I would do a terrible job.
Why should somebody with no experience run who will then waste all of their time in office learning all of the rules, etc. By the time they actually learn how to do everything in a competent manner their term will probably be up and they will have accomplished nothing.