 "Photo: Jeremy Northum")
Both love Texas A&M. Both have a self-proclaimed passion for serving students. Both have visions for the future of the University.
There is little doubt Jacob Robinson and Bryan Sims are qualified candidates, but when students fill out run-off ballots Tuesday and Wednesday for student body president, they will select one to serve the student body in 2010-2011.
Both candidates have strengths that set them apart.
Robinson, a junior leadership studies major, said his experience as executive vice president was adequate preparation.
“The student body president has exactly one year to work for the benefit of all students by voicing concerns and achieving results on the issues that impact students lives directly on a daily basis,” Robinson said. “Serving as the executive vice president this past year, I have the experience and readiness to begin serving students on day one.”
The leadership experience of senior industrial distribution major Sims has been outside student government. Sims said this allowed him to possess perspective on the student body and decide the best way to lead.
“Our student government is an incredible organization and one of the best in the country, but it is not the entire student body,” Sims said. “What makes me different is that my experiences have not prepared me to be president of student government; they have prepared me to be president of the student body.”
The platforms of Robinson and Sims include agendas of tuition and fees, the upcoming Texas Legislature session and communication.
Robinson served in legislative relations in student government, an experience that allowed him to be involved with the past Texas Legislature.
“This next year will be a challenging year for Texas A&M University and for higher education across the state,” Robinson said. “It is important that students elect a leader who is experienced and has as a solid vision and plan to produce the results students deserve.”
Sims, who has leadership experience as president of the Christian fraternity Brothers Under Christ, said he wants to communicate with students.
“[I have] the ability to meet students where they are at. I have never and will never consider myself a career politician. In every way I am a normal student with normal passions and pursuits,” Sims said. “I want to take student government to the students not force students to come looking for it.”
Sims’ supporters place emphasis on his character and passion for Aggieland.
“His desire to serve as student body president is not for Bryan, but for me, his staff, his supporters, the other campaigns and for the student body as a whole. His four pillar platform is the foundation of which I stand upon and hope is in A&M’s likeness,” said Brian Hutson, director of design in Sims’ campaign and a sophomore marketing major.
Participants in the Robinson campaign echo that experience is the best quality.
“I support Jacob Robinson for student body president because he is ready to lead this University. I couldn’t think of a more qualified candidate,” said junior biomedical science major Coral Zelon, Robinson’s campaign manager.
If elected, Robinson and Sims want to look back at the term knowing they positively impacted the student body.
“When my year as student body president is done, I want to be known as the student body president who listened and communicated effectively the needs of the student body and who was able to achieve substantial results in accomplishing the goals and vision set out in my platform,” Robinson said.
“When students look back on the 2010-2011 school year, I hope they will not see me at all. That’s because nothing I will ever do as student body president will be as important as when a student paints a house at Big Event, as the ride home someone receives from Carpool on a Thursday night or as the life-long friendships formed in a Fish Camp DG,” Sims said. “Ultimately how we face [challenges] mean nothing if myself and student government are not working as hard as we possibly can to see Aggies succeed in everything they do.”
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