James Strickland can often be seen wearing formal attire no matter where he is.
The fourth-year history student from Coward, S.C. lives at the C.S. Lewis Center and is hardly the traditional candidate for student body president.
That’s not to say he’s not qualified.
Under his “Restore Carolina” platform, Strickland said he hopes to improve campus dining.
As a member of the Carolina Student board of directors for Sodexo, Strickland hopes to create more flexibility in meal plan time slots.
“I have heard a number of complaints from students, and I think Russell House could work more with the farmers market so we can have vendors on Greene Street more often,” he said.
According to Strickland, a $25 solicitation fee is required from each Greene Street vendor to the Russell House.
“That is a considerable amount for every vendor to pay, so if we lower the fee, more vendors will want to participate,” he said.
If elected, Strickland said he will continue with an off-campus CarolinaCard, when the legislation is finalized. He’s promised to give his $5,400 presidential stipend back to the university. Strickland has used a popular local blog to blast Innovista.
Needless to say, he has strong feelings.
Over Spring Break, Strickland said he plans to travel to Washington, D.C., with USC’s Congressional Advisory Board to make congressman aware of what students need at USC.
“I am very confident that it will go well,” Strickland said.
The Congressional Advisory Board, made up of six students, conducts online and social research to be made into policy proposals for USC students. Strickland and his team have been formulating proposals since September of 2010 and have narrowed their focus down to improving health and human services, including study abroad opportunities and how they are affected by the national debt.
“I’m a little more libertarian than most people,” he said.
As for President Barack Obama’s administration, Strickland said he considers the president to be “very rational and reasoned but [doesn’t] agree with everything he does.”
“I have mixed feelings about Obama,” said Strickland. “I don’t chew him out, but I’m not his biggest fan.”
The Honors College student said that although he is not running on a religious platform, he considers Christianity to be a part of his life and attends a local Presbyterian church.
A lover of golf, Strickland has also played the violin since he was 16 and performed with the Florence Symphony Orchestra.
“My favorite is (Wolfgang Amadeus) Mozart’s third violin concerto and (Max) Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1,” he said, “though I’m not good enough to play the whole thing.”
After college, Strickland said he hopes to attend graduate school, possibly law school, and become a history teacher.
“History is the best topic. It applies to just about anything, and there is so much history to be found on this campus,” he said.
Strickland said he has big shoes to follow preceding current SG President Ebbie Yazdani and hopes to pick up where he left off.
“Yazdani has done a lot of great things, such as promoting voter registration, finding an alternative to Cocky’s Caravan and taking Carolina Cash off campus,” he said. “I hope to improve outreach SG has to the state office and lobbying efforts could very well be improved.”
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