Joshua Menhennett: "I'm Passionate About Student Opinion"



Last week, I submitted interview questions to each of the three candidates for student body president at UT-Tyler.

I asked them some basic questions about why they are running and then their positions on some general issues in higher education I thought others might find interesting, such as their their position on Campus Carry legislation, banning controversial speakers from campus and abortion. My effort was to give the reader a feel for each candidate's values and priorities.

I posted my interview with Blake Hendricks last week here.

This week, I am thankful to receive Joshua Menhennett's responses.

Here is my interview with student body president candidate Josh Menhennett.  His responses have been edited for readability and flow.

INTERVIEW WITH STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT CANDIDATE JOSHUA MENHENNETT

1. Why are you running for student body president?
I believe there are improvements that can be made to significant aspects of the student experience at the university, and think I am an excellent candidate to do it, and truthfully, I love a challenge!

Although I am short two years of both of my opponents, I believe my simple determination to run against two highly qualified candidates shows the rigor and passion I have for making lasting and positive change, for not only the University but for the way the students of Tyler improve their community around them.

2. What life experiences or qualifications do you have that you believe will enable you to perform the role of student body president?
Growing up in a family of three other brothers (can you believe my mom has four boys) I quickly learned the meaning of balance, meaning the easiest, favored, or best things won’t always come my way, but it is crucial to make the most out of any and every opportunity I have.

Also, you could throw some brotherly competition in their too. I also had experience in high school serving as Vice President and President of my Student Council, helping to lead state wide service projects and accumulating over 300 service hours within 4 years.

3. What are your ideas and goals for the next year as student body president?
I really have 4 major aspirations for the coming year: Recycling implementation on campus, increased student engagement and involvement, decrease the gap between the Students and the work of the student government, and develop full student recognition at the University of Texas at Tyler.

4. What else would you like students to know about you (if anything)?
I love to talk to students about anything, I simply love to talk! As I want my conversations with students to be one of my key points throughout my campaign and if I were elected, I am very open to discussion with any student, literally about anything.

I love all the Marvel movies and Captain America is by far my favorite superhero!

5. Why should students vote for you?
I’m simply passionate about the opinions of the students. As I said I love to talk to people, and believe that that is something the SGA can approve upon as a whole and will ultimately reflect the true needs and wants of the students.

If someone is willing to change, and make that change last on the University of Texas at Tyler, they would have a direct link through me and I would be 100% willing to nurture those connections.

6. Who are you running with (if any other candidate)?
I’m running by myself!

FREE SPEECH

7. What is your position on campus speech? Would you support or oppose a student organizations’ desire to host a guest speaker on campus whose views other students may deem to be controversial? 
I love the thought of inviting as many educated speakers and intellectuals to the campus. Especially for the specific interest of a student group, it would be most beneficial to allow it, even if it were at the disagreement of another group of students. This is a basic Constitutional right and I believe in it strongly.

However, as crucial as it is to allow free speech in that light, it must be taken at moderation, meaning, if the safety of a student is at risk due to a foreseen clash, then the event should not take place, and that would be the responsibility of the governing body of the University.

CAMPUS CONCEALED CARRY

8. What is your position on Texas Senate Bill 11, otherwise known as the “Campus Carry” law? Do you support or oppose increasing the restrictions on where concealed handgun licensees can carry a concealed firearm on-campus?
I support the creation of the concealed handgun license in the state of Texas, however, if the University has cause to believe that it is indeed unsafe to be in the possession of a gun on campus, or the possession of said gun could or would cause a problem on campus, it is at the discretion of the administration to implement the rules governing that situation.

ABORTION

9. What is your position on abortion? Would you support or oppose the implementation of on-campus vending machines that allow students to purchase abortive contraceptives, such as Plan B or the Morning After Pill, as other institutions of higher learning have implemented?
My position regarding abortions is pro-choice. The decision to provide abortive contraceptives on campus for the use of the students is at the hands of the students. I certainly don’t see many problems providing these products, but don’t believe they are set above the needs of the Student Body’s academic needs and the skills they must acquire at the University for success.

Really, this is at the hands of the students.

DUE PROCESS

10. What is your position on due process? Do you support or oppose the recent changes by the Department of Education to Title IX investigations which require universities to allow a student who is accused of a sexual crime the ability to cross examination their accuser? 
Yes, I think this is crucial. I am quite uninformed on this topic, however, I think if this process would put well informed, deciding judiciary members into a position to make the most dignified and lawful decision concerning a Title IX case, than it is the most beneficial change that can be created, but this MUST come with educated individuals making sure proceedings are fair and just.

If I were to have a say in the process of knowing who those people are, I would do everything in my power to ensure safety and honesty for those students.

SGA'S ROLE IN STATEWIDE DEBATES

11. What role would you like to see student government play in statewide and national debates? How often would you like SGA to take official stances on issues that extend beyond UT-Tyler’s campus?
I love participation in all forms, especially to those that relate to the students, not simply as students, but for issues that will affect our futures, families and career. I think it is very crucial to engage in those issues, but should be wary of the time taken away from student policy, as that will be, and should be the most crucial role for the student government, supporting the student body.

Twitter: @jhescock

 Stay tuned for more interviews as they come in! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Primer to University Governance - Part One

Image
  ( Photo : ''Court Gavel - Judge's Gavel - Courtroom'' by wp paarz via Flickr ) The following is a primer to internal university governance. When you're a student, it is easy when you want to do something for yourself. Want to drop a class or change your majo r ? That's no problem. Yet, the moment you want to do something for the student community, say end a student fee or save the mascot from extinction, then you enter the realm of campus politics. Reforming campus policy requires you engage with the structure of university governance and that you participate in a democratic process. For this, you need to understand the university’s governance structure and how the powers that be set university policy. To the average student, all of this can be quite foreign. So to help students understand university governance, here is a primer to university governance. Everyone can have an introductory understanding of university governance if they understand th...
Read more

OPINION: SGA's Inaction On Student Issues Not For Inability To Act

Image
    (Logo. Source: Student Government Association at UT-Tyler.) Student government elected a new chief of staff this week in a special meeting at the end of the semester. Senator Jennifer Chandler won the assembly's vote in a three-way race among two other current SGA members, Allison Schwartz and Tyler Paige. Student members spent nearly an hour both investigating and discussing who should be the next officer in the association's executive board. That members take such an interest in their organization's affairs is commendable. However, given that the assembly displayed how it has the capacity to both investigate and deliberate over a subject matter with rigor, then I ask, why it could not also demonstrate this same rigor in matters that are undeniably of popular student concern, such as unavailable parking space and advisor shortages? The assembly's ability to both convene a special session and to debate the issues at length demonstrate that members have the ability t...
Read more

OPINION: SGA Election Awards Residential Students More Representation

Image
    (Logo. Source: Student Government Association at UT-Tyler.) Student government elected a new chief of staff this week in a special election at the end of the semester. Senator Jennifer Chandler won the assembly's vote in a three-way race among two other current SGA members, Allison Schwartz and Tyler Paige. In her campaign pitch to the assembly, Chandler championed her priority for inclusion and accessibility in SGA as well as her three years of experience as resident advisor (RA) in Ornelas Hall student housing.  With Chandler's election, Student government advances yet another residential student to a position of power. There is nothing is wrong with this in principle. After all, all students, both residential and commuter, have the right to participate in student government. However, given the obscurity with which SGA operates to most commuter students, it is mostly residential students who know about its activity and therefore stand the most to benefit from their ...
Read more