When making the choice to slate with a party, it wasn’t much of a choice.
I wanted a party that shared my passion for placing the students at the forefront of all policies.
I wanted a party that had not been mitigated by years of inefficiencies and ineffectiveness.
I wanted a party that stood together for tomorrow and remained together when serving the students at UF.
When making the choice to slate with a party, Swamp Party not only had the fresh face I was looking for, but, by far and away, was the party that demonstrated its commitment to improvement, commitment to excellence and most importantly, commitment to the students.
If elected, this will be my second year in Senate, having served last Fall, Spring and Summer C.
In the past year, I have had the distinct privilege of representing the students and bringing them the results they deserve, including 24-hour/five-days-a-week Library West, the phone charging stations around campus and much more.
As a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee headed by chairwoman Christina Bonarrigo, I increased funding to hundreds of student and academic organizations to promote student involvement and input at the university.
As a member of the Rules and Ethics Committee, I have continually upheld the guidelines by which the Student Senate operates and provided fair, unbiased rulings on dozens, if not hundreds, of senators.
Currently, I am working on a variety of projects, including the consolidation of UF’s IT services, including ISIS, Sakai and Webmail, and along with chairwoman Lauren Verno of the Rules and Ethics Committee, developing a workshop for the Student Body as a means to increase transparency and implore the students to become more involved with Senate.
I mention my experience because it is but a semblance when compared to the collective experience of Swamp Party’s candidates.
The experience, qualifications and enthusiasm that Swamp Party offers is second to none.
Our candidates have collectively served on virtually every type of student organization, create the most diverse slate offered this semester and are more prepared and excited to serve the students than any other slate I have ever seen.
I didn’t choose Swamp Party because it had “been there, done that” like the other parties.
I chose Swamp Party because it is committed to the Gator Nation and will do what is right by you and the rest of the Student Body at UF if elected Tuesday and Wednesday.
Joseph Michaels, Beaty Towers senator
Slated with the Swamp Party, District A
You can respond by emailing opinions@alligator.org.
