Swamp Party and Access Party members handed out fliers to students Monday morning on Turlington Plaza listing their platforms.
Joseph Michaels, Swamp Party’s Student Body presidential candidate, revealed his party’s platform with his Student Body vice presidential candidate Tia Smart by his side.
“This is a platform that will allow us to live better, save more, study smarter and thrive together,” Michaels said.
He said Swamp aims to improve students’ lives by building a gym and recreational center on Norman Field, adding a new parking garage, expanding nighttime transportation and establishing a hammock rental program.
Swamp’s platform also focused on extending hours at Marston Science Library and Library West, expanding free printing across campus and reducing wait times for advising.
“A large portion of our understanding of the students and their needs has accumulated through our experiences over the past four years as student leaders and representatives,” Michaels said.
He said specific platform details will be released throughout the campaign and during the Freshman Leadership Council debate today at 6 p.m in the University Auditorium.
Access Party’s campaign manager Michael Christ said the main goal of the party is to bridge the gap between students and Student Government. The party’s platform stresses accessibility, accountability and affordability for students.
Other goals on the party’s platform were online voting, a 24-hour Marston Science Library, expanded printing to Marston and Library West, gender neutral bathrooms on campus and appointment of a chief diversity officer within the UF administration.
The party also wants to decrease student fees for graduate students, lobby against tuition hikes and lobby for Bright Futures Scholarships to extend to summer for students.
Christ said during platform generation many students requested that Marston extend its hours of operation because Library West often gets crowded.
He emphasized that Access Party wants to make SG more transparent for students. The party proposed having the SG financial system open to all students so they can see where their activity and service fees go.
“We feel that there is a big disconnection between the Student Body and Student Government officials,” he said.
One idea on the party’s platform to increase student involvement with SG officials, such as student senators, is to require senators to hold monthly town hall meetings and have weekly office hours for their constituents.
Christ said the party will release specific points as campaigning continues.
Elections are Feb. 24 and 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/17/2015 under the headline “SG party platforms focus on improving campus life"]
Joseph Michaels (left), Swamp Party’s candidate for student body president, and Tia Smart, Swamp Party’s candidate for student body vice president, release the party’s platform to a crowd of students on Turlington Plaza on Monday morning.
