When it comes to Student Government, Lindsay Richardson knows what she’s doing. As president pro tempore of the student senate, she has overseen a number of major legislative initiatives, including a proposed change to SG’s constitution, new campaign regulations and a hefty overhaul of student organization funding. She radiates a sincerity uncommon in the political scene and is genuinely receptive to the needs of the student body.
All of these traits point to one thing: Richardson is the clear choice for student body president.
Almost all of her proposals are both innovative and, more importantly, feasible. It is clear that she understands the organizational and legal limits of a student body president and has set her goals accordingly.
When it comes to her parking solution, for example, she recognizes that building new parking garages is far from cost-efficient. Richardson’s suggestions of bussing students in from now-unused parking lots showcases her ability to think laterally.
Of all of the candidates, she was the only one who specifically mentioned the names of those she would confer with when putting these plans together. This shows a level of detail which was scarce or absent in the other candidates’ proposals.
She also has a history of listening to the student body and taking those ideas all the way to completion. The Carolina Closet program, which lends students proper business attire for job interviews, was Richardson’s brainchild and a direct result of her experiences as a resident mentor.
Richardson herself is a cool but alert figure. Her years of Student Government involvement have given her a sense of confidence that is well deserved. She is pointed and direct in conversation, for the most part eschewing gimmicky phrases and rhetorical maneuvering.
The two other candidates, Chris Sumpter and Jameson Broggi, also have their respective merits. Our meeting with Broggi showed an entirely different kind of candidate, one focused around a central message. His support of a state law requiring USC to teach the Constitution has succeeded in bringing the issue to the fore, at the very least. Additionally, his campaign shows that one doesn’t have to be a Student Government insider to consider pursuing an office.
Sumpter, too, represents a different flavor of politician, one whose broad, weighty ideas and slow drawl is reminiscent of many politicians that have passed through Student Government and state government alike. If anything, his willingness to work for the goals he’s presented whether he’s elected or not shows a strong character and a dedication to the tasks he has set for himself.
But, when it comes down to it, only Richardson possesses that subtle balance of politics, personality and simple know-how that a student body president requires to function.