Candidate says without experience, job will be too difficult

If elected to serve as the next president of the SGA, Cason Kirby said the transition will be an easy one.

After all, he is only three doors down the hall.

Kirby, a junior majoring in political science, is currently the vice president of Student Affairs, a job that comes with an office no more than 100 feet away from the president's office.

"I will be able to step in on day one and get to work," he said.

In fact, Kirby said, ever since he was able to work in politics he has, and couldn't remember when he first became interested in public service.

"I've always been really passionate about politics and public service, so I've always felt that was what I was going to do," he said.

As a sophomore in high school, Kirby was nominated by his congressman to be a page for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., for a summer. Kirby said it was there that he really caught the "political bug."

"I really had the chance to see how dedicated people can make a difference in the lives of those they represent," he said. "It was an invaluable experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

His senior year in high school, he became the SGA president.

At the University, Kirby is in his third year of involvement with the SGA.

As a freshman, he served as a senate assistant, a position Kirby said helped him learn as much as he could about the organization.

He became a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences his sophomore year and accepted a position as the secretary of the Senate.

Now, he said he is ready for the next step.

The first issue on Kirby's platform is instituting a 24-hour library pilot program.

Kirby said it's important for students to have a place to study that is not only easily accessible, but safe and secure as well.

He said he also wants to make the academic forgiveness policy more forgivable, saying a change the policy would allow students to take challenging courses early on in their career without being terrified for their GPAs.

The third part of his platform calls for student co-chairs on University standing committees. Kirby said if he is elected, the student and campus life committee will be the first to have this kind of student leadership.

Kirby said some of the smaller issues on his platform are making student football ticket packages completely paperless, introducing an electronic advising system and implementing an online application for emergency student loans.

"[Running for president] was something I'd thought a lot about and it's a huge responsibility," Kirby said. "I thought about it and just decided experience does matter, and because I have had the privilege of being involved for so long, I really think I am the best candidate," he said.

Kirby said it would be difficult for someone to step into the office of president with no prior involvement or experience.

"Just being around, I know if would be indescribably difficult coming into the office of SGA president without relationships built," he said. "I can use those relationships to impact students' day-to-day lives and make sure they have a good experience here at the University."