Upperclassmen face off for officer slots

Addyson Garner (P) and Kayla Coghlan (VP), senior class candidates

What makes you and your partner quality candidates for this position?

We are running for senior class president and vice president because we are uniquely qualified candidates. We are passionate about serving our school through student government.

Throughout our time in the legislative body, we have pushed innovative bills designed to positively impact Liberty students. We are familiar with the formal process for proposing ideas and have shown our competency through the numerous bills we have contributed. 

Through our dedication to communicating with students, we know that we can serve as effective advocates. Our hope is to help the senior class leave an impact during their final year.

If you were elected, how would your presence in SGA make a difference for your class?

We plan to make positive changes on campus in a three-point platform:

We want to create service opportunities sponsored by SGA, such as partnering with LU Serve in October to host a food drive in the SGA offices. We would love to enable students to act as Champions for Christ through service opportunities and provide them with an outlet to give back to their community. 

We plan to set up an online system establishing a direct line of communication between the senior class and its officers. We want students to be able to bring forward any ideas and concerns directly to their class officers, who will advocate on their behalf in the executive branch.

Finally, we’d like to partner with the Lynchburg Humane Society to bring in stress-relief animals for students to interact with. Students have responded positively to stress-relief animals during past finals weeks, so we would like to make these visits more frequent.

What is a something you have done that you are most proud of?

Addyson: My proudest accomplishment at LU would have to be my work on our mental health initiative in SGA, which improved the lives of students on campus through mental health awareness. The experience taught me the value of student activism, speaking up and working with administration to enact positive change on campus.

Kayla: Last year I was nominated to serve on the Privileges and Elections Committee. It was the committee’s first year of operation, and we were tasked with assigning SGA delegates to represent Liberty students. When students have a direct channel of communication with SGA, real progress can happen on campus — which I got to experience firsthand. I’d like to see this philosophy expanded upon to allow a more open exchange of ideas between students and their class officers.

Kathryn Legg (P) and Kelela Branning-Pilla (VP), senior class candidates

How do you spend your free time?

Kelela: I often spend my free time hanging out with friends, studying and engaging in the Lynchburg community.

Kathryn: I spend my time hanging out with friends, working out and enjoying Liberty’s campus. I like playing intramural sports and serving in my church. Also studying — that takes up some time.

What makes you and your partner quality candidates for this position?

Kelela: I have been a part of the House Delegates for a year now and have been able to work on two committees to understand more of how SGA operates. In addition, the Lord has blessed me with tremendous leadership opportunities through which I’ve learned and am learning about servant leadership and speaking out for those who aren’t heard.

Kathryn: I have been in SGA since my freshman year. My first year I was able to work with two other students to sponsor legislation that changed curfew rules on campus. We heard many students say that they wanted to be able to sign out late sometimes, and we started writing. I got to see early how the legislation process works and how change actually occurs on campus. We had the opportunity to work with the then Student Body Officers and Vice President Mark Hine. I learned a lot about the relationship between students and administration from the passing of that legislation, and it was neat to see change actually happen.

If you were elected, how would your presence in SGA make a difference for your class?

If elected, we would strive to accurately represent and voice the opinions and concerns of the senior class. Our presence would represent not only the present graduating class but the legacy to follow at Liberty University.

Our slogan is “Representation. Discipleship. Outreach.” We want to represent the students rightly to administration. We also want to represent students well to the Lynchburg community. We are passionate about discipleship as well. Our faith in this endeavor is just as important as it is in any other matter. Lastly, we want to facilitate more outreach to the Lynchburg community, including to the other colleges in the area. We’re not the only school in Lynchburg, and we should be reaching out to those around us to connect and minister. 

We are really excited about this opportunity and hope we get the chance to represent the senior class.

Timothy Murcek (P) and Evan Gaul (VP), junior class candidates

What does being a Champion for Christ mean to you?

To us, being a Champion for Christ is about so much more than simply being successful in our individual activities, adventures and ambitions, but rather being a victor and an ambassador for a cause greater than oneself. Championing those things that Christ has called us to is the entire essence of the Christian life and the great purpose which we are called to share with our local community and on the global scale. Champions are a representation of their field. Champions are unashamed of their victory. To us, being a champion for Christ is to attempt to model our lives after Jesus Christ and to cultivate more champions for his cause.

How do you spend your free time?

Tim: Outside of school, you’ll find me heavily involved in a variety of activities. I am a club president, spending some of my free time coordinating club meetings and events and promoting my club. When I am not tending to club matters, I am a passionate hockey fan who prides myself on rarely missing any of my hometown team’s, the Pittsburgh Penguins, games. You may also find me at my favorite coffee shop, The Muse, sipping a peppermint latte and reading a book on politics, philosophy or theology.

Evan: When not (tending) to schoolwork, I am often working what I call “the best job on campus” at Snowflex, where I now serve as an instructor for beginner skiers and snowboarders, two of my favorite hobbies. Other hobbies include hiking and camping. I am also in the process of starting a student-led organization called Project: Fourteen22, a club whose goal is to educate more students about Christian persecution worldwide, an issue about which I am extremely passionate. You may also find me re-watching and finding opportunities to quote “The Office” in any given social
situation. 

If you were elected, how would your presence in SGA make a difference for your class?

We are running on the ideas of community, opportunity, and sincerity. In a world full of division, we want the class of 2020 to be the standard-bearer of a community knit together academically, professionally and spiritually. 

We want to foster an environment where we are standing shoulder-to-shoulder on graduation day with friends, not just acquaintances. The class of 2020 should not be a vague reference applied with a broad-brush, but instead a community of individuals who are committed to each other and the cause of Christ. 

We want to provide ample opportunity for our class to showcase their many talents and give them a platform to utilize those gifts in the best possible way. Finally, we want to sincerely serve our class. If elected, we ask for nothing but honest feedback and discussion on how we can make this school
better.

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