Johnny Castillo
Almost three years ago, Johnny Castillo was handing out fliers for the Unite Party as a Sigma Phi Epsilon pledge.
But this week, the 21-year-old political science senior is campaigning as the Students Party’s candidate for Student Body president.
Castillo joined his fraternity as a freshman pledge in Fall 2009 and was assigned to be the “little” of current Student Body President Tj Villamil.
Castillo worked his way up to house organizational representative for the Unite Party. But then, he said, there was a turning point.
Castillo said he was present at the Spring 2011 meeting where the Unite Tapes, which exposed how Greek organizations would reward members for voting and punish those who didn’t, were secretly recorded and later leaked. He said the meeting discouraged him.
“I saw how Unite was ran and how Student Government was ran, and I didn’t like it,” he said.
That Fall, Castillo said the fraternity did a national membership review. He was one of 60 brothers who were told they didn’t share the fraternity’s values and were made inactive members the following Spring.
Castillo said he can bring ideas like an ISIS waiting list system. He also wants to increase campus safety and install more blue lights.
He said he wants to keep tuition from increasing.
“I know what it’s like to be like most people in this university,” Castillo said.
His No. 1 priority, he said, is to reform SG into a system not based on legacy but on qualifications.
Interior design junior Arianne Biton, 20, met Castillo in her freshman mathematics class. Biton said his experience as a Sig Ep brother makes him understand the issues from both Greek and non-Greek sides of the political process.
“The fact that he’s seen both sides makes him an unbiased party,” she said.
Jenna Goldman
UF political science sophomore Jenna Goldman, 19, is a fourth-generation Gator but a first-time Student Body vice presidential nominee.
During her first week on UF’s campus, Goldman saw there was an open seat for the Jennings Area and was appointed by the Senate in August 2011. But she lost her seat in the Fall 2011 election.
She was involved with Inter-Residence Hall Association her freshman year and served on Jennings Area Government. She is an active member of Pride Student Union and the Women’s Student Association.
Goldman currently serves as the Students Party president, a co-chair of College Democrats Women’s Caucus and as a residential assistant in Jennings Hall.
Goldman said she is qualified to serve as vice president because of her experience with outside organizations. She said these organizations do similar things but more efficiently.
“Cabinet has the ability to do so much, and I see that from the outside,” she said.
If elected vice president, Goldman said she would push for more on-campus security measures like more Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol vans.
Chloe Hale, a 19-year-old biology and health education sophomore, met Goldman at an RA training session in August. Hale said Goldman’s experience as an RA qualifies her for the position of vice president.
“She really wants to progress this university in a positive manner,” she said.
Billy Farrell
Like the other 50,000 students at UF, Billy Farrell pays into the university and wants to know how his fees are being spent.
Farrell, a 21-year-old environmental science junior, said he chose to run as treasurer because of its role in allocations.
“We also want to increase the value of a UF degree,” he said.
Farrell is the president of College Democrats. He has worked with Gators for Obama, Children Beyond Our Borders, Pride Student Union and has attended Gatorship.
Farrell said he became involved with student politics when he saw the cost of tuition rise in 2012. He slated with the Students Party Spring 2012 for an agriculture seat and in Fall 2012 for a District C seat but lost both times.
As treasurer, Farrell said he wants to promote ideas of transparency and accessibility by installing a live update system on the SG website so students have access to all financial information. He said he also wants to cut down on SG’s executive perks.
Lauren Nickolof, a 19-year-old political science and economics sophomore who serves under Farrell as the College Democrats director of outreach, became friends with him instantly.
“He’s very good at taking ideas he gets from people and putting them together,” she said.
Jenna Goldman, the Students Party’s vice presidential candidate, stands next to presidential candidate Johnny Castillo and Billy Farrell, the party’s candidate for treasurer.
