Voting will be open March 1 and March 2 until 10 p.m. Students can vote through their Buff Portal or at kiosks around campus.
Questions answered by candidates
- Who are you?
- What do you think is the job of the Student Body President/VP in regards to the students?
- What makes you special or different from you opponents?
- What are the biggest problems facing the University?
- What do you want to make happen during your term as Student Body President/VP?
*All answers remained verbatim as they were received.
Nick Goettsche
1) My name is Nick Goettsche. I am from Waterloo, Iowa and am studying Pre-Dental/Biology. I am the Parliamentarian Pro-Tem in Student Senate, Recruitment Chair in the Student Alumni Board, and President of Buff Hall.
2) The job of Student Body Vice-President is to be every student’s representative. As Vice president I will have an open door policy, allowing everyone access to work with our Student Government on issues that are important to them.
3) I am the only candidate who lives on campus. This allows me to understand the needs of our residents such as parking and our need for greater campus involvement.
4) The biggest problems facing this University are the budget and our parking issues. Our budget is being cut by up to 15% this fiscal year, which means many programs will be reduced or cut. This is an issue every student needs to care about because it directly correlates with the tuition and fee’s they pay. The second problem is parking. As aforementioned, I am the only candidate who lives on campus and has to worry about parking in front of their residence hall. This is one issue I would really like to improve.
5) I would love to address the parking situation on campus and to promote the WT student community. My goal is to bring our organizations together to create a better environment for our students.
Katie Perkins
1) My name is Katie Perkins. I am from Amarillo, Texas and I am a History major with a Communication Studies Minor. I am a member of the Attebury Honors Program, Vice-Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee in Student Senate, and I am the Co-Director of Freshman Leadership Organization.
2) I believe that the Vice-President serves two purposes on campus: leading the Student Senate and being the direct representative of the collective voice of the students. The office is designed to carry out administrative duties and represent the student body.
3) I believe that I maintain a connection with the majority of the student body due to my experiences both in life and at WT. I am from the Panhandle area and I am involved in many campus organizations. This means that I will keep the best interests of every student in mind when making decisions and I will encourage each Student Senator to do the same when voting on resolutions, bills, and amendments.
4) The biggest problem facing the University is the budget. I have reviewed materials that I obtained from the State Legislature and I believe that budget cuts will be the main focus of the University in the coming Academic year. I believe that students should be concerned about the budget because it directly affects their professors, programs, classes, graduation dates, and campus organizations.
5) There are a myriad of things that I want to accomplish on campus. I think that the Vice-President should not only sit behind a desk, but they should also work in conjunction with the Student Senate to improve campus life and the overall student experience at WT. Parking is an issue that the Student Body Vice-President cannot completely fix. I will do everything within my power to find a solution to the parking problem on campus. If I cannot achieve that, I will pave the way for my successor to succeed in that goal. I want to focus on academic issues, professor retention, and student retention beyond the First-Year Experience. I plan to devote all of my perseverance, courage, and will into West Texas A&M University every day.
Valeria Rangel
1) I’m Valeria Rangel, raised in small town Salado, TX. I came to WT in the Fall of 2008. And I’m currently working on my Engineering degree.
2) It’s all about representing the students. During meetings with faculty and such one must disregard his or her own thoughts and must think of what is best for the student body as a whole. I believe the SBP must always keep one question in mind “What is best for the students?”
3) I’ve already held a position much similar to this one, back in high school. And also the fact that I want to be a candidate who truly changes and makes improvements to this University.
4) The biggest problems I see facing this University are not enough retention of our 1st and 2nd year students, not enough use of the wonderful resources WT has to offer, and also not enough campus Unity. The problems could be helped and fixed, and I wish to be the catalyst for this change.
5) I wish to see a more united University that is moving forward toward an even more successful future.
Patrick Miller
1) My name is Patrick Miller. I am a Junior Pre-Law Major from Amarillo, Texas, a proud graduate of Palo Duro High School–Class of 2008, and the oldest of three children. I am a First-Generation College Student, and a product of the Achievement through Commitment to Education (A.C.E.) Program. I believe in representing to the best of my abilities; my Faith, my Family, and Palo Duro. I believe the experiences I’ve had in life have prepared me for this moment, and if given the opportunity; I would certainly lead with passion, grace, and humility.
2) The most important role a Student Body President has, is the opportunity to be a passionate leader, an honest person, and a true advocate for the student body. Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, the president must give an honest effort towards doing what’s right for the entire student body.
3) With all due respect to the wonderful ladies I’m running against, I believe I have the passionate sense of urgency for diversity, ingenuity, and humility, that the students of West Texas A&M University have been yearning for.
4) Apathy, division, and retention.
5) If we can make one small difference by creating a greater involvement within our community, and unifying our campus with collective interaction, we will be the greatest university the panhandle has ever known.
Brandy Roberets
1) I am Brandy Roberets a Junior Public Administration and Political Science Major. I would like to eventually become a lawyer for a non-profit organization. I am from Kansas and really enjoy participating in community service. I am vice chair of the Student Affairs Committee, a senator for the College of Education and Social Sciences, and Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Residence Hall Association.
2) I think the job of the Student Body President is to represent the students to the best of his/her ability. Many individuals believe this can be achieved on a social level by getting out and really talking to students. However, I know that Student Body President is so much more: talking to local media outlets, attending to University Committee meetings, and even representing amongst a state and university system level (Texas A&M System). I am prepared to represent to the best of my ability, both on a social and business level.
3) I think the thing that sets me apart from my opponents is the fact that I am your average student with a lot of passion. I go to class, live on campus, and have a job and homework which both keep me grounded. I am in several organizations across campus and although I am involved, my organizations don’t define me.
4) I think fees and budgeting are going to be the biggest problem in the upcoming years. As far as biggest problems that I can work on, I believe student representation, retention and community involvement are two big problems that I can help fight.
5) I really want to work on WT’s retention rates and community involvement. I believe that I can increase WT’s sophomore retention rates through organizational outreach. I have several programs already mapped out and am really excited about implementing them! As far as community involvement goes, I want to work on community service and involvement. I want to change the saying “Canyon is a town with a College” to “Canyon is a College town” !
