As another academic year comes to an end, it’s time to elect new representatives for Brockport Student Government (BSG). Four students will be vying for leadership positions in BSG. They are Felicia Kumi-Amoafo (president), Kevin Blanchet (vice president), Tegan Hughston (senator) and Lark Cornett (senator).
Kumi-Amoafo is a junior public health major and the vice president of African Student Union (ASU). Blanchett is a sophomore kinesiology major with a minor in coaching, as well as an RA at MacVicar Hall. He is also the Director of Communication for the Men of Color club.
The first senator candidate, Tegan Hughston, is an international relations and communications major and is part of the Honors College. She also serves on the student board for Student Equity and Inclusion. Lark Cornett, the second candidate, is a junior and is the president of the Psychology club.
In a virtual debate and Q&A with election commissioners from BSG, the candidates had an opportunity to share about themselves and what changes they would bring in the event they are elected to serve for BSG. Here’s what the candidates had to say.
“(As President I would) be the voice of the student body and work together with students to make Brockport a better community,” Kumi-Amoafo said. “As the current vice president of ASU, I listen and respect the viewpoints of others.”
Kevin Blanchet, when asked about his vision for serving as vice president, cited his experience in leadership positions.
“Being in a leadership position isn’t something I’m new to, it’s something I do day to day. Being able to communicate with others and making sure they’re doing their tasks isn’t something I’m afraid of,” Blanchet said.
Lark Cornett is eager to bring their experience as a queer individual to a senator position so they can help other students like themselves be heard.
“I’d take experiences I’ve had as a student involved on campus and bring those forward by representing the different populations across campus; (I would) give them a voice and present their opinions in a place where they matter,” Cornett said. “Being able to be a part of that decision making body and someone who is educated on what’s going on in the world around us, and how it affects different communities on campus and be able to make educated and well informed decisions.”
Tegan Hughston, the other senator candidate, also spoke at length about representing minority groups on campus as her time on the board of Student Equity and Inclusion has given her the experience needed to effectively create change for BSG. She also spoke on how students may be struggling to find themselves after the tumultuous times that came with the pandemic.
“I know what it’s like to start college in a time where it doesn’t feel like college,” Hughston said. “You can’t do anything, you don’t know what resources are available to you, you aren’t seeing your professors in person. Coming out of that is an interesting shift, as well as the shift from high school to college. As someone who experienced that first hand, I’d be there for incoming freshmen so they’re comfortable and represented.”
When Cornett was able to discuss their opinions on the main issues facing Brockport students, they cited a lack of getting involved, among others.
“There are three things students are facing, one is not knowing how to get involved in things. Another is a lack of awareness for the things that happen on campus, especially the queer and race issues. Most students don’t hear about it until they see it on the local news. The third, as a queer non-binary individual, has been a lack of representation for the minority groups.
Kevin Blanchet wants students to know that if he’s elected as vice president, students will know what’s going on behind the scenes.
“Students may not know what’s going on, so we’ll establish that trust and let the students know we’re here for them,” Blanchet said.
Blanchet also went on to speak about issues with mental health students may be facing.
“College students don’t talk about mental health enough. If I’m elected as BSG VP, I will try my best to improve mental health so people don’t have to leave Brockport or take a semester off,” Blanchet added.
Lastly, Felicia Kumi-Amoafo spoke about her visions for her presidency of BSG.
“I would try to increase engagements between students and BSG, and let them know they can rely on us to help them with any problems they’re facing at the college,” Kumi-Amoafo said.
When asked about areas of improvement, she had three specific things in mind.
“Food choices. They were limited because of allergies and other things,” Kumi-Amoafo said. “I’ve also been talking to a lot of students who want to transfer because their voice is not heard. We live in a town where everything isn’t close to us, and we only have two shuttle buses,” she said.
Elections are expected to be held by May 5; make sure to vote and let your voice be heard. More information about the election will be released soon through BSG.
