The 2017 SGA elections are in full swing on campus at ETSU this week. Each candidate has been campaigning hard in order to get their name out there and show prospective voters about their platforms.

Students can vote online for SGA executives and senators from April 10-13.

The tickets for this year’s SGA elections are: Keyana Miller, Hunter Shipley and Megha Gupta on ticket KHM and Nathan Farnor, Morgan Munsey and Annie Malcom on ticket NMA. Alexandria Wells is running for vice president solo.

ETSU student Malienski Russell will be voting for ticket KHM because of the way he feels they will handle student life.

“I do care about the SGA election because they are the people that we as students can report to to get our voices heard,” he said. “I’m voting for the ticket of KHM because I feel like they meet the requirements as a student that I look for.”

Former SGA president Alex Cassell has seen first-hand how important of a role SGA executives play on campus at ETSU. Cassell served as president during the 2015-2016 academic year.

“The SGA executives and senators we elect will have considerable influence with the administration and others who are able to continually change ETSU,” he said.

He believes it matters who students elect.

“Think about who is going to advocate for the needs of students, and who will help continue to push ETSU in a positive direction,” he said. “Also consider who you want to be the face of the student body, because these individuals often travel to meet with leaders who can drastically impact our university. Always consider who will be able to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in these settings.”

ETSU junior Cayman McMahan feels SGA has recently fallen in terms of its connections to other organizations on campus.

“Knowing the candidates will be the deciding factor for me when voting for SGA. It’s easy to see who is really involved on campus because you see them everywhere, actively involved in all facets of ETSU’s community,” he said. “I’ll be voting for the names and people I recognize. I feel like me knowing them and knowing their involvement at ETSU expands beyond SGA is more important than any platform.”