Victoria Davis
Why did you apply for this position?
Since transferring to Georgia State I have come to love the university for the opportunities and privileges it presents to its students. I hope to play a role in the continued growth of our support for athletics programs, student organizations, and student representation.
How do you plan to manage the pressure and responsibility that comes with representing over 32,000 students?
It is important to have a solid team behind you when taking on a leadership position of such magnitude. Luckily, I have an experienced executive board and Senators running with me who share the same values, and we are united in our view of how to best achieve our goals. As captain of the Pantherettes, I learned how to make high-impact decisions under pressure and plan ahead for our team’s long-term needs. That position has really prepared me to juggle responsibilities and competing obligations in the moment.
What previous experiences prepared you for this position and how?
As I alluded to before, I was captain of the Pantherettes, which has been a powerful learning experience in leadership. For the past year I have also served as an Ambassador in the 1913 Society, working closely with our University’s President, as well as interacting with key figures in our school’s administration. The 1913 Society has significantly helped to cultivate my passion for Georgia State University and my motivation to effect change. I am also the current President of Chabad Jewish Student Association and have served on the boards of several other organizations–cultural, political, and community service–throughout my college career. Each of these has required my constant focus and organization skills as a leader in order to ensure that the groups reached their respective goals. The challenges I faced in each role helped me learn to advocate for myself and for others, communicate with all types of individuals, and to troubleshoot. As difficulties arise, it’s important for a leader to be flexible and confident and my time spent in these positions showed me first-hand how to appropriately handle any situation in coordination with my peers.
What do you think sets you apart from the other applicant?
It’s a strength that I’m coming into this election with an outside perspective. I have a background in leadership from a diverse set of groups and non-traditional experiences, which prepare me to bring a new critical eye to SGA operations in hopes of reaching a broader cross-section of the student body. Through 1913 Society I also have had direct experience with the inner workings of the University’s operations, so I have the ability to leverage connections in a way that effectively meets the needs of our various student organizations and the student body as a whole.
How do you think the experience obtained from holding this position will help you later on in life?
This position is a great opportunity for me to exercise my skills and passions in representing a group of people. Serving others is very important to me, and I hope that my future career will involve representation of and service to my community.
On a lighter note, who are you? What’s your background and what do you like to do for fun?
I had the privilege of being raised in a multicultural environment. My immediate family is Jewish, while my mother’s side of the family is Christian, and my two younger siblings are adopted, one domestic and one international. Having such a mixed family taught me acceptance and tolerance from a young age. I grew up attending Jewish Day Schools, which fueled my enthusiasm for practicing my own religion, as well as learning about others. One of my greatest passions, and an activity I always have fun doing, is dance. I started at 3 years old and have continued each year since. I also greatly enjoy running, hiking, and photography. Each of these has me appreciating the beauty of the world around us.
What are you looking for in an Executive Vice President?
My EVP needs to be organized, good at delegating, a strong communicator, and skilled at synthesizing input from many sources. I am confident that I have found the right individual in my running mate, Matt Altman.
What are some of your goals; what would you like to accomplish during your year in office if you are elected?
If elected, my top 4 goals would be:
1. Increased allocation of funds to student organizations, so that they can host the programming that they desire.
2. Prioritize student support for athletics. Our students deserves a certain type of school spirit and pride that comes with investment in a strong athletics program and the traditions that we build around it.
3. Foster and maintain relationships between students, faculty, and administration for increased coordination and collaboration.
4. Bridge the gap between organizations and SGA, so that we can better help them achieve their goals.
If you win the election what’s the very first thing you’ll do?
The very first thing I would do is set up a series of targeted sub-committees. These groups would focus on specific areas of the school to ensure that the students in each of our schools, such as the School of Music or the College of Arts and Sciences, are satisfied with their academic environment, and are receiving the resources needed to experience success in all their efforts.
Matthew Altman
What do you hope to bring to SGA if you are chosen for this position?
Georgia State University’s Student Government Association is supposed to be the democratically elected, representative body of the students of this amazing institution. The Senate represents the actual individual Panthers while the executive board represents the link between the University (the administration and the President, Dr. Becker). My Presidential Candidate, Ms. Victoria Davis, and I have a proven track record of these such connections and accomplishments that can help us positively represent the students of Georgia State to the best of our abilities.
Victoria and I both have not been Panthers our whole college career. We have both transferred here and have learned to take advantage of all of these amazing opportunities Georgia State has offered us. We believe it is now our responsibility to help our fellow Panthers to reach the levels they are so capable and yearning for. We are the Students’ First Party, we believe in putting student first. We believe that we must go “Back to the Basics” to truly help the students grow and thrive in their collegiate career.
Describe what you previously did while being a part of SGA.
I have been a part of Student Government here at State since I was elected my first semester spring 2012. Prior to being at State, I served on College of Charleston’s SGA, which is my previous college. From my time there I had rose to become Chairman of the Community Outreach committee. This truly was my first encounter with holding a leadership position and it helped make philanthropy and community involvement a huge part of my life. When I go elected as a Senator for the Robinson College of Business, I began serving on the Budget and Finance committee helping Former B&F VP Theo and current Budget and Finance VP, my good friend, Tyler Lewis form the SGA budget and help divert money to as many student organizations as possible. I then served on the Diversity Fee Council helping some of the most inspiring and active community/campus organizations receive funding to help my Georgia State such the amazing university it is. I learned how to see which organizations helped and positively affected the university and our fellow students to a great extent. This has helped me understand how to work with the Budget and Finance and other student org to have amazing programming on campus.
What sub-committee are you planning on serving in if you are given this position and why?
As executive vice president. I believe by the connections I have made with those who are running for all vice president positions as well as serving in a few of the current committees as well as helping President Andrew Whyte create the first Community Outreach committee. Breanna Minton, my ticket mate and fellow Andrew Young Senator this past fall, massively helped President Whyte and I with this bold endeavor. I have to tell you it was very difficult to convince current SGA members to attend the events we had planned. I want to help those senators and students take more notice and responsibility for these committees. Which is why I want to create subcommittees.
Name one thing that sets you apart from your competitor.
Something that sets myself and Victoria apart is that we have these connections with our respective positions that we are running for in our daily lives. Victoria works in the Provost’s office and is a Pantherette and has connections with the administration and Athletics currently. In regards to executive vice president, I intern at the Georgia State Capitol, watching how our state government functions and the actual legislative process that should be implemented in our SGA. I want to run for political office one day, maybe Governor of Georgia. I understand how a Student Government should be run and can help positively and fruitfully help my fellow students in this endeavor.
Why are you trying to get this position?
Georgia State has given so much to me. From being able to serve in the actual representation of this amazing institution to be selected to The 1913 Society, the most prestigious organization on campus. The greatest honor for me is to be able to represent my fellow Panthers in the best of my abilities. These opportunities have given me a way to help my fellow peers in a successful way. It is now my responsibility to give back to this school.
What would you say is your most notable accomplishment?
I would say my most notable accomplishment would be last Summer in New York for my fraternity’s 100th year convention. I am President of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the Jewish Fraternity, here on campus. Last summer at our convention we were awarded the Tenzer Family Award out of 177 chapters across nine countries. The Tenzer Family award was for the Most Outstanding Chapter Progress Award under 40 guys. We are currently around 25 guys and have only been on campus for six years. I believe that being honored for being apart of an organization that truly cares about one another as well as caring for the betterment of this university. I had the honor to make not just a successful, inspiring organization, but to meet people that have become so much like family. I want to share my skills and help to make this student body into a family.
How do you plan on fostering more student interest in SGA?
Something I spoke about earlier was the idea of subcommittees. I believe to foster student interest first begins with the senators. I believe senators, from my own experiences, get bored and somewhat frustrated with their actual involvement with SGA. We have lost and continue to lose some of the most motivated, inspiring students on campus. I believe our senators need more of a stakehold in SGA. That is why I believe we should make Head and regular senators Chairman and Chairwoman of subcmmittees. For example, I was speaking with a bunch of music school student a week or so ago and they stated that there building needed reservations, money for stands and sheets of music. I want to help these students, especially as a former trumpet and french horn player myself. I want to form, for this example, a appropriations subcommittee either under Budget & Finance or Student Life to help these students have the tools they need to be successful.
Describe your goals for SGA during next semester.
A) I want to connect the students more with the faculty and adminsitration to help get them involved in certain organizations and keep their grades up, respectively, as well as to help them graduate and be successful.
B) We need to direct more funds of the SGA budget to the students for co-sponsorship.
C) I want to help students get involved more in SGA through serving on committees and subcommittees.
D) I want more transparency throughout the university and student body. First starting with SGA. I want to have more meeting in front of the students to show we actually want to hear their opinions.
Ashley Osato Uzamere
Why are you trying to get this position?
First, I am already the current Executive Vice President and just with the different things me and Andrew Whyte, the current president, has enacted, I would still like to see things be taken further. For example, we passed new bill templates for different resolutions that need to come in through the Senate. We have piloted Organizations United. We have collaborated with campus events to try to get the students together. And now that Andrew is graduating in May and me and Andrew always being together and working together all the time, it would be really good to see the questions and the concerns of the students be answered next year. I just on what was already started in my short term of Executive VP.
What concerns did you see from the students?
At town hall meetings we saw different concerns. It’s kind of more so that students want in the know about money for our credits, different student fees, co-sponsorship form, different housing questions they have. There were numerous questions that they had asked me at the town hall meetings that kind of brought us in to things like, “I didn’t know you guys were in the positions that you are in the positions that you are in.” “I’m in a class with you every Tuesday and Thursday and I didn’t know that you was in SGA. It’s just making us more visible, making us more tangible, making sure that the office is friendlier and inviting so people can submit complaints, concerns, and suggestions.
The number one goal is definitely to make us more united as a campus. Organizations United had our first meeting last and basically and its kind of because every organization on campus works for separate entities. Our main goal is to once a month bring the presidents of every organization we could possibly touch and meet Georgia State chartered organizations. When we come together we put our events on a calendar to make sure that some events aren’t doubling up others. We are changing times to make sure that we support each other’s events as panther family. Doing things like to make SGA more inclusive.
What would you say is your most notable accomplishment?
Even though I know SGA has a lot of work to do just as any other organization and government, I would say two things. One, when we represented Georgia State at the Capitol and heard President Becker and lots of high profile people that with Georgia State and now work with the Capitol. They said that they were pleased with us and we represented Georgia State well. They said that all of the VPs, including President Whyte, spoke eloquently and represented Georgia State in a great way. That was the highlight of the term, because as a government type of organization we get a lot of complain. We a lot of letters, people submitting emails about things they want to change. And we very seldomly get commended for what we do.
Check it once is Organizations United. This was eventually President Whyte’s idea. This is what he ran on when he ran in last spring. To actually see it come into fruition. To go to the first Organization United meeting. To see all the organizations of so many divisions come together in one accord. To make Georgia State more inclusive was a notable accomplishment.
How do you plan on fostering more student interest in SGA?
I remember when I was a freshman and I was in an FLC called Emerging Leaders. The thing that I loved was when older upperclassmen student leaders came and talked to us about opportunities that lie ahead. It goes to show that me and President Andrew were both in Emerging Leaders when we were freshmen. Isn’t now it a surprise that we are both on the Executive Board of SGA. And many others.
For example, the previous president before Andrew Whyte, Marcus Cummerband, was also an emerging leader. It’s just making sure that we reach out to freshmen. Whether we are collaborating with housing to go to RA programs and to make sure that we are fostering people to become more active. I really believe that it starts with freshmen.
Like, Last year President Whyte was speaking at Incept. Just things like that to make sure that transfer students and freshmen students understand the different opportunities as far as student involvement in campus life. Another thing we did was especially for freshman students to get positions. We created 12 positions all together. Usually freshman students never get to be on SGA, but now we let them plunge in and become a volunteer and things like that to kind of get their feet wet to how SGA works.
What is your ultimate career goal?
I want to do so many things. My major is Psychology Pre-med. So, my main goal is to go to school and become a doctor. I want to go back to Nigeria and build hospitals and make sure that there is health care reform because health care is very very terrible in a third world country. And it’s not just Nigeria. So that’s my main goal to be an advocate for health care change in third world countries.
How does your major tie into SGA?
I love this questions. A lot of people are like, “Oh my god. You’re pre-med and you are in SGA.” With SGA, you learn so many things, from leadership skills to speaking to organizing to leading. You learn so many things that can be used in any field. For example, we went to the Capitol and we are talking to the legislatures about reforming our school. It’s the exact same way that hospital directors at Grady talk about reforming insurance plans. New skills from organizations like SGA can be placed in any type of position, because you are learning leadership, you are learning about politics, you are learning that there is an order to things.
