Impact Party to release campaign platform

Impact Party plans to release its platform today after gathering ideas from more than 200 students Thursday and Friday.

Party members stood outside the Reitz Union for five hours on both days and encouraged students to write ideas about improving UF on a chalkboard. The platform, which the party plans to release today, will include some of these ideas, Impact spokesperson Janae Moodie said.

“Our platform is a contract to the Student Body,” Moodie said. “Our ideas need to come straight from the source, which is the students.”

She said students talked about safety initiatives, like adding more crosswalks, and requested healthier on-campus food options.

Impact talked to students about the party and encouraged them to vote in front of the Reitz and on Turlington Plaza from Tuesday to Thursday, Moodie said.

Akash Beekhoo, 21, said an Impact member asked him if he plans to vote in the Spring election. Beekhoo said he might if he was in the area.

While speaking with the Impact member, he learned Impact’s executive ticket was running unopposed.

“He said he wanted to represent us,” the UF mechanical engineering junior said. “I told him he’s the only one I know right now — I don’t know anyone else.”

Progress Party, which has seven Student Senate candidates, hasn’t started asking for input on its platform, Progress Vice President Charlie Ras said. Members plan to focus on implementing online voting and giving additional funding to student organizations.

Rash said Progress plans to encourage students to write ideas on a large sheet of paper in front of the Reitz this weekend through election days.

“If they saw us six days before the election, they might not remember us because of our small size,” Rash said. “We don’t have the manpower like Impact.”

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