Hannah Grant: VP of Public Relations SGA 2015 Candidate

Grant

Hannah GrantQ.What college are you representing, and what year are you?

A)

I am a junior Public Policy major, placing me in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, however I am running for an executive position, Vice President of Public Relations.

Q.Describe your platform.

A)

I am so proud and excited to be running with Team IMPACT. Our platform is:

  • I – Increasing sustainability initiatives
  • M – Mobilizing student attendance at athletic events
  • P – Promoting awareness of academic programs and resources
  • A – Advocating for a 24 hour study space
  • C – Creating meaningful and lasting traditions
  • T – Transforming student services

Q.What do you hope to achieve with the position?

A)

Overall, I hope to get students involved in the Student Government Process. There are so many opportunities for student input and involvement, but that’s not something we typically have a lot of. I aim to change that.

Q.What achievement are you most proud of?

A)

It is very hard to narrow an achievement down to just one, but I think being able to wear the letters I do across my chest is what makes me the proudest. I love my sisters very much, and it’s an honor to call myself one of them. They make me proud every day.

Q.Define transparency in student government.

A)

I think, in order to create a more transparent Student Government, we must put forth an active effort to engage the student body. We must also keep open and easily accessible records (something I as the current Senate Clerk am passionate about) And we should consistently make ourselves available to students to ensure that we are serving them in the best way possible. I believe, overall, we should be open and cooperative with all of our goals, in order to truly be representative of the student body.

Q.What are some big issues students have been facing lately?

A)

Aside from midterms, I think the largest issue students on our campus face is study space. Personally, as a commuter student, it can get frustrating to find a place to hunker down and study for long periods of time, particularly at later hours. This is why I am a huge proponent for a 24 hour study space.
Another issue I see students on our campus facing is a lack of pride or school spirit. I am incredibly proud to be a Georgia State student, but I earnestly feel in order to instill that in all our students, we must take actions to make all our students—not just those who live on campus– feel involved and proud of their University. This means creating traditions, encouraging participation in athletic events, doing whatever it takes so students will graduate with a degree from an institution they are proud of.

Q.What new initiatives would you try to implement if you received the position?

A)

If elected, I would first utilize more student services for marketing methods. We have so many talented graphic designers, photographers, writers, etc. on this campus, it doesn’t make sense to do all of our marketing work from within. This way, more students will have the opportunities to put work on their resumes and have a hand in what goes on in SGA.
Second, I plan to continue and build on the #WeWearBlue trend. I think it is a great way to get students fired up about their University and SGA.
Further, I would love to begin live-tweeting all of our Senate meetings, and potentially even have a live stream available for students unable to attend. I want to make SGA as accessible, open, and user-friendy as possible.

Q.What sets you apart from the former position holder?

A)

I have so much respect for Mr. Camryn Bradley. I think he is an incredible student leader who was an awesome VP of Public Relations, and we do have a lot in common. However, I think that where Mr. Bradley liked to keep marketing efforts within SGA, I plan to outsource more to increase student involvement. I am also very interested in partnering with other organizations to better reach students, which is something that has not been utilized as much in the past.