Current Washburn Student Government Association members, including the current president and vice president, are looking for people with major goals and a great personality to lead the student body next year.

“This year has been a rebuilding year with new senators. Now we have a strong base and the potential for next year is great. We started good traditions, community service and fundraising and hopefully they will continue with new progress,” said Kate McCown, senior history major and current WSGA president.

The changes WSGA have undergone has made room for the new administration to create new activities and traditions.

“This year we did different things with homecoming like the Ichabod Race, and I would like to see them build on that,” said McCown.

Some goals McCown and Will have for future WSGA administrations involve reinstating programs that were dismantled in their administration, such as Safe Ride.

McCown and Will said they had good reason to take Safe Ride off and evaluate it. With that being done, the new administration should implement it, according to Will.

“They should have direct goals and be able to check each goal off as they go along,” said Will.

Though many responsibilities come with being president and vice president, the students are still an essential focus to their success.

“The candidates should encourage the students to get involved. It is a constant process,” said McCown. “They should be willing to serve a variety of all students.”

McCown also believes that to be successful the candidates should have an open mind, be team oriented and not individualistic.

“That has spread on to the executive staff. No one is more powerful than the other,” said McCown.

As vice president of WSGA this year, Will has learned being successful means being organized and flexible. According to McCown, a passion for Washburn and the students is imperative in being president and vice president of WSGA.

“[The candidates] should have a sincere desire to help students and love Washburn. The executive staff and senate have embodied that to make Washburn better,” said McCown.

Accepting the critical aspect of being president and vice president and the favorable aspect is also key in being successful.

“They should have a positive attitude and except criticism, as well as compliments,” said McCown. “They should be willing to listen to people and know what resources to utilize. That is very important.”

Tamika Carter, sophomore criminal justice major and current senator, would like to see a change for next term’s administration.

“I want them to be more open and available to all students, not only to the ones they are particularly apart of or favor,” said Carter.

According to Carter, the future administration should be goal-oriented, charismatic, open-minded and should be honest, trustworthy and motivational.

“They must have the drive to work with all students and speak for them. Don’t make the students that are not part of an organization feel isolated,” said Carter.

She also wants the administration to be professional at all times.

“We should not see the president and vice president drinking a keg at a party, because they represent Washburn,” said Carter.

Trent Wilkerson, junior psychology major and current senate member, would like the new administration to be more assessable to students, by making sure students can come to the meetings without feeling out of place, and can express their concerns in open forums.

He would like to see someone that is completely open-minded, and said there is no room for negativity, bias or slander.

” [We need] strong leaders that are not afraid to stand up in what they believe in,” said Wilkerson.