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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

@THEBATTONLINE

SILVER TAPS

SPORTS

Max T. Ma, Tony Nguyen to be honored during Silver Taps Ceremony on Tuesday, March 3, at Academic Plaza A9

A&M prepares to face Texas, Kentucky in final two home games before SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee A11

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Guide to candidates, elections ahead of Friday, Feb. 27, voting deadline By Julia Kazda News Editor

Infographics by Kynlee Joyner and Zoe Rich — THE BATTALION

Jack Kemper comprise the other two Junior Yell candidates. The candidates for Senior Yell Leader are mechanical engineering junior and member of Squadron 17 Luke Rollins, supply chain management senior and member of Company E2 Roy Doggett and economics senior Josh Brewton.

As the Spring 2026 Student Body Elections come to a Minor races head, it is ever more pertinent than ever that the Aggies who make up Texas A&M’s campus be aware of the ins The minor races are Class Councils, Residential and outs of the polls, which will be open for students Housing Association, Honors Student Council, Class of to cast their votes from 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2027 Agents and SGA Senate. Within the Class Councils until noon on Friday, Feb. 27. Voting will take place on elections, students will vote on the sophomore, junior A&M’s Online Student Elections website, and the unof- and senior class presidents. ficial results will be announced on Friday, Feb. 27, at 7 The duty of class president is, according to the Conp.m. at the 12th Man statue. stitution of Texas A&M University Class Councils, is to Before casting a vote, it is imperative to become ac- strive “to serve and unite Texas A&M University and to quainted with all that will be decided Avaliable Student Senate seats enhance traditions for the continual on, most notably the candidates and improvement of the Aggie Commufrom represented colleges their respective agendas. nity.” “Voters should take time to learn For the Class Councils race, bio3 about each candidate before casting medical sciences freshman Allie their ballot,” political science senior Fleener and Blinn Team freshman 3 9 and Election Commissioner Shelby Jaden Taylor are running for freshByerly wrote in a statement to The man class president. Business honBattalion. “Reviewing platforms, 4 ors sophomore Cole Horton, popolicy priorities, and leadership litical science sophomore August experience allows students to Pritzlaff and public service & make informed decisions about administration sophomore Camiwho best represents their interla Vivanco are running for soph4 ests. Being a well-informed votomore class president. Urban & 8 er helps strengthen the integrity regional planning junior Diego De of the election process and ensures La Rosa and industrial distribution 4 that elected leaders genuinely reflect junior Braden Nott are running for the needs and values of the student junior class president. 5 body.” The responsibilities of senate members are to advocate for the inLowry Mays School of Business Major races terests of the student body, discuss and propose legislation and plan iniCollege of Engineering In the primary races, students will tiatives that reflect the concerts of be able to vote on the student body each class. Architecture and Fine Arts president and vice president ticket Within the SGA Senate elections, and the Junior Yell Leader and Sethere are three spots for the four for College of Agriculture and Life Sciences nior Yell Leader candidates. The Lowry Mays Business School, nine paired candidates for student body for the College of Engineering, ColSchool of Education and Human Development president and vice president are manlege of Architecture and Fine Arts, Health Science Center, Veterinary Medicine, agement junior Brock Slaydon with five for the College of Agriculture and Biomedical Sciences marketing junior Mattie Taylor and and Life Sciences, four for the ColCollege of Arts & Sciences industrial engineering junior Duncan lege of Education and Human DevelPoling with agricultural economics opment, four for the Health Science Bush School of Government and Public Service Center, Veterinary Medicine and junior Bryce Fisher. Slaydon and Taylor’s main objecBiomedical Sciences, eight for the tives are to improve transportation, College of Arts & Sciences, three for Student Senate candidates make it easier for students to find the Bush School of Government and community through Get Involved Public Service, three for the Corps, from represented colleges and prioritize Aggie traditions and 28 for the Off-Campus Caucus and 2 lower the cost of Aggie Rings by seven for the On-Campus Caucus. 3 spreading the message of scholarships. “We want to make every Aggie Importance of voting 4 13 feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves, so they “Voting in SGA elections is can graduate as friends, leaders 5 one of the most direct ways stuand citizens,” Slayden and Taylor dents can shape the future of their wrote in a candidate guide on the university experience,” Byerly Student Government Association, wrote. “By participating in the or SGA, website. “Our goal is to election process, students choose 6 remove barriers, pursue excellence peers who will advocate for their and push for every student to feel concerns, communicate student 13 like a valued member of the Aggie perspectives to university leadership, family.” and help guide decisions that affect 7 On the other hand, Poling and Fisher’s campus life. Voting ensures that student goals are to decrease shadow costs for classes, voices are represented and that the Student offer community service options for parking fines, advoGovernment Association reflects the priorities of the cate for larger ticket pull groups and expand food access. campus community.” “Government and MSC Abbott, we’ve led with a Voting in SGA elections allows students, as members simple belief: leadership starts with listening and follows of a system that is built to serve its constituency, to handthrough with action,” Poling and Fisher wrote in a re- pick candidates that will represent their interests and adleased statement. “Texas A&M shapes leaders grounded vocate for their needs during their time at A&M. in service, integrity, and community — and we’re com“High voter participation strengthens campus repremitted to advocating for every Aggie and helping each sentation and empowers student leaders to advocate efstudent thrive.” fectively on behalf of their peers,” Byerly wrote. “When The four-candidate selection for Junior Yell Leader more students engage in the electoral process, the outis composed of two non-regs — students who are not comes better reflect the diversity of perspectives across members of the Corps of Cadets — with communication campus and contribute to stronger student advocacy and sophomore Fielder Scott and computer science junior programming. Conversely, low participation can lead Hayden Futch on the ballot. Political science sophomore to underrepresentation of certain voices and missed opand member of Squadron 17 Clay Kennedy and agri- portunities for students to influence decisions that shape cultural business sophomore and member of Squadron 2 campus life and student affairs.”

Tuition and general fees are just $203 per semester credit hour.

www.blinn.edu/admissions

8-WEEK CLASSES BEGIN MARCH 16