TSG campaigns begin for Executive, Parliament

The two teams will debate twice before students vote on April 4th and 5th.

Left: Connecting TU Presidential candidate Ari Abramson (right) introduces campaign initiatives with Vice President of Internal Services candidate, Dalia Al-Bataineh at the TSG General Assembly meeting in the Student Center on Monday. Right: ActivateTU Presidential candidate Tyrell Mann-Barnes (right), Vice President of External Affairs Paige Hill (middle) and Vice President of Internal Services Kayla Martin, listen to their competitors’ campaigns at the TSG General Assembly meeting in the Student Center on Monday. BRIANNA SPAUSE | PHOTO EDITOR

Two teams are running against each other to represent Temple Student Government next year. TSG announced the candidates, Activate TU and Connecting TU, in Monday’s general assembly meeting. Activate TU’s team has two members from this year’s Executive Branch on it.

Tyrell Mann-Barnes, who is running for president of Activate TU and is TSG’s current director of Campus Life and Diversity, said he didn’t want to talk for students, but rather allow students with different experiences to have a say in student government.

“I’ve always been adamant about advocating for people, and this finally gives me the platform to work with two amazing women and do the same thing,” he said.

Mann-Barnes will run with Kayla Martin, candidate for vice president of internal services and current TSG Auditor General, and Paige Hill, candidate for vice president of external affairs.

Ari Abramson, who is running for president of Connecting TU and is the current Fox School of Business representative for Parliament, said he wants to improve “core issues” by working with school leaders. Abramson is running with Dalia Al-Bataineh, candidate for vice president of internal services, and Shiven Shah, candidate for vice 32 president of external affairs.

“I want every person at Temple to feel they’re getting the best possible education and access to the best possible resources that they can have,” Abramson said.

Last year, four teams ran — the first time more than two tickets competed in the TSG elections since 2010. Empower TU won with 32 percent of the vote.

Activate TU

According to its platform, Activate TU wishes to “reform what exists” by continuing to work with Women Organized Against Rape.

The platform also proposes change to the structure of TSG’s Executive Branch and Parliament. Activate TU would establish an ethics board within the Executive Branch and create the position of Director of Student Health and Wellbeing. This position would collaborate with WOAR, Student Health Services, the Wellness Resource Center and Tuttleman Counseling  Services to improve mental and physical wellness services. Activate TU also plans to designate a communications director within Parliament and create better communication between the two branches of TSG.

Activate TU said in its platform that they oppose the university’s on-campus stadium.

It also proposed to reinstate the Summer Bridge program, a pre-college program that admitted high-performing students who lacked elsewhere in their application, like low SAT scores. It was discontinued in 2015 and replaced with the Temple Option, which gave applicants the chance to submit additional essays instead of low test scores.

Connecting TU

Connecting TU built much of its platform on existing initiatives and in-progress work of the current TSG administration. Its platform centers around student need, sustainability and the Temple experience. It supports the recent establishment of gender-neutral housing and plans to expand the initiative.

It also plans to work with Tuttleman Counseling, Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership, WRC and student organizations to expand the resources available to LBGTQ students.

Connecting TU will continue the Adopt-A-Block program on Temple’s campus and develop a comprehensive guide to community relations for all students to reference.

Connecting TU’s plans to enhance “the Temple experience” include expanding and improving Flight and the Walking Escort program. It also plans to push for student involvement during the university’s transition from Sodexo to Aramark.

The two tickets will debate for the first time Thursday in Room 217AB of the Student Center from 5 to 7 p.m. The Temple News and Temple Update will moderate. The two-week campaign season will end with voting on April 4th and 5th.

Amanda Lien can be reached at amanda.lien@temple.edu or on Twitter @amandajlien.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated that Dalia Al-Bataineh is the current Fox School of Business representative for Parliament. She is not. Ari Abramson is the current representative for Fox in Parliament.

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