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DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Patton Maynard: Presidential Candidate

 

Objective

My objective for my time as president is simple: I wish to create tangible, physical culture at TCU. I want to develop and uphold the traditions at TCU to support the culture of this amazing University. The more events that are funded by SGA give people more opportunities to connect with people in organizations outside of their own, thus binding our campus together!

 

How will I achieve this Objective?

Resources Available: TCU has lots of money it doesn’t spend. We all pay a lot of money to come to school, and SGA receives a portion of that. This massive SGA budget goes partially unused! The best thing that SGA can do is spend as much money as possible from its given budget- not leave it sitting. Below is a list of the three primary traditions I want to implement with these funds.

  1. TCU Kickoff - This event will be a combination of a concert and a pep rally on the campus commons the day before our first home football game of the year. This will serve as an event to welcome back upperclassmen to campus while creating a situation where first year students are able to meet with upperclassmen on a large scale.
  2. Frogfest - This is an event to start off the spring semester! The goal is to tackle the TCU spring slump where we simply return to campus after Winter Break and head to class. This will give the campus the opportunity to celebrate the athletic accomplishments of our fall semester teams and get students excited for our spring semester activities such as basketball and baseball. This event will have live music, free swag, and a pep rally celebrating our fall semester athletes. During the festivities, I, as the president, will give a pseudo “state of the union” address in order to hold myself accountable to the student body.
  3. Lily Pad – For this new tradition, we will rent out Panther Island Pavilion here in Fort Worth in order to host a TCU event on the trinity river. Almost every university in Texas has a similar event where the campus enjoys a day on a river or lake together. It is time for TCU to join in this state tradition. We plan to provide transportation, free entry to every undergraduate student, and a DJ for entertainment.

 

Enhance Presidential Visibility: As the highest office within TCU’s student government, the president should remain visible and active within the campus community. This will ensure the president is held accountable to their actions and is constantly surrounded by their classmates in order to keep the executive office grounded with the desires of the general student body.

  1. Set a precedent for the president to give pseudo state of the union address to the student body. The Address will act as an accountability update from president. A byproduct of this address will be bridging the gap between SGA cabinet and the constituency that elected them.
  2. Set a precedent for the president to set aside a time to host a town hall open to anyone and everyone. This will give a time for students, faculty, and anyone interested in voicing their complaints, praises, or questions directly to the president. The ability for the student body to go and voice their concerns directly to the most powerful Student Body Officer cannot be understated. Everything SGA does is to the benefit of the students, and what better way than to make it easier for them to talk to us? The standard time and place will provide a common knowledge for the TCU community to know that if they ever have something to say to the president, they know they can find the executive officer in the same place and same time every month.
  3. It must be well known that this platform is not finite. We welcome growth and suggestions from anyone who desires change on campus. The goal of this presidency is to be flexible to the desires of the student body, and not to be so overly concerned with fulfilling campaign promises that the opinions and voices of the students aren’t heard. Instead of campaigning on what I want to see accomplished, I wish to campaign on the desires of the student body.
  • Campaigning should not be a candidate dictating to voters. The role of a candidate should cease to be one of telling people what they want to do and transition into asking voters what it is they want to see accomplished. Until a candidate is made aware of what the student body desires, how could a candidate truly represent the student body?

 

Establish Mental Health, DEI, and Sexual Assault Prevention Initiatives as TCU Traditions: TCU has created and funded phenomenal programs to raise mental health awareness, promote the inclusion of DEI in the core curriculum, and combat sexual assault on campus.

  1. Set a precedent to continue the promotion and funding of programs and events established via SGA over the past two years. Events such as “It’s on Us” and “Mental Health Awareness Week” are events that I take great pride in supporting. I believe that regardless of the cost, if we can save one person from being assaulted or prevent one person from feeling so alone they believe taking their own life is their only option, we are successful.
  2. Promote the events of multicultural organizations as TCU traditions to end the idea that there are two different TCUs. Under my administration, I intend to unite all of TCU under our common traditions and culture of leadership and respect.

Campus Involvement History

  • TCU Student Government Representative: This is my third year to be a representative in the TCU Student Government House of Representatives. I have debated numerous pieces of legislation and have served on four committees throughout my tenure in the House. Typically, I would assist in the drafting of and presentation of bureaucratic measures such as codes and bylaws. Recently, I authored legislation that funded TCU’s improvisation comedy troupe, Scentless Acts of Comedy, in their trip to their national competition in Chicago. I also cosponsored legislation which declared that SGA stands with TCU ROTC in their push to receive priority enrollment. This resolution passed unanimously in the House of Representatives.

 

  • TCU Model UN: In the fall of 2016, I traveled to Washington D.C. with the TCU Model United Nations team for a conference between schools from all over the world. Here, my co and I competed against and partnered with teams as we formed multinational alliances bridging age old rivalries and modern conflict. I was later declared one of the conference’s distinguished delegates.

 

  • TCU Dutchmen: One of my most beloved accomplishments, The Dutchmen are TCU’s newest addition to TCU Spirit. Many people recognized us from our purple and white overalls that we wear when cheering on our fellow Frogs. This past year, I have served as Head Dutchmen, which is one of the two leading roles within the team. Through my role as head Dutchmen, I have seen the best of what TCU has in spirit, camaraderie, and culture.

 

  • TCU Frog Camp Facilitator: This coming summer will mark my second summer being a Frog Camp Facilitator. I believe that Frog Camp is one of our school’s greatest accomplishments in educating and welcoming new students to TCU. Being selected to take part in this is something I take great pride in.

 

  • TCU Theatre: As a Theatre Major, I have always been involved in the TCU theatre department. TCU’s Theatre department was recently ranked as number 6 in the nation and I could not agree more. I have seen so much talent and hard work in my classmates that I have no doubt we will all be watching them all someday. Through this department, I have found some of my closest friends and leaned lifelong lessons of respect, patience, and humility.

 

Student Ideas:

•Student ratings of bus drivers.

•Bus stop at the four way stop by the hills and the rec.

•Create events that integrate new students into the campus community.

•Create percentage based scholarships instead of a fixed dollar amount.

•Reestablish Homecoming.

•Create a bondfire tradition.

•Market TCU Fine Arts events to the campus and Fort Worth Community.

•Educste new students on Student Government at orientation/Frog Camp.

•Overhaul meal plans.

•Offer complete transparency of the inner workings of SGA to the public.

•Create more charging stations in the BLUU, Library, exc.

•Create a campus store where personal hygiene products can be purchased.

•Establish the DEI committee as a integral committee of the House of Representatives.

•Establish a TCU Winter Ball where all students can dress up for a Horned Frog Ball.

•Educate TCU students on campus traditions and history.

•Bring Lime Bikes to TCU https://www.change.org/p/tcu-administration-bring-lime-to-tcu

•Make TCU a more wheelchair friendly campus

•Parking spots designated for bikes and scooters 

•Overhaul Froggie 5-0.

•Create career advisors that act in the same way as an academic advisor but directed towards your career.

•Make the DEI committee into an integral committee within the House of Representatives.

•Make TCU a recicling friendly campus with education and more reconciling locations.

•Re-Establish Homecoming.

•Expand Froggie 5-0 hours.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.