Three students vie for first CSL president position

By Claire Byun  

byunc@mytjnow.com

Photos by Claire VanOstenbridgeKambrell Garvin

Classification: Sophomore

Major: Political Science

Minor: African American Studies & Sociology

Hometown: Columbia, S.C.

Age: 19 

Time at WU: Two years

Leadership Experience: I have been with CSL since Fall 2009 as representative for the NAACP.

Q. What made you decide to apply for the position of student body president?

A. “I started talking to my peers and listening to their issues.”

He said he thinks the student body needs someone who will go to the board meetings and represent them. 

Q. How do you plan to frame your campaign?

A. “I have several events planned throughout the election process, and there are going to be different opportunities for the student body to interact with me.”

Included in his 10-day campaign, Garvin, along with other candidates, will participate in a forum that will give students the opportunity to voice their concerns to the candidates and ask any questions. Garvin will also eat lunch in Thomson with the student body and take part in a celebration at Scandal’s to thank students for participating after all the votes have been cast. 

“If students aren’t taking it seriously, students still aren’t taking ownership. That’s what this campaign is about — students taking ownership.”

Q. How do you plan to win students’ votes?

A. “I listen to people. I listen around campus to see what students want to see done better.”

“…I’ll let (students) know what I want to do to make their lives better for the next two or three years, or however long they’re students at Winthrop.” 

Q. On what platform do you plan to base your campaign?

A. “I want to create a more transparent student government. I believe that CSL must be connected to the students and students must be connected to CSL.”

“I will lead a student-driven campaign to encourage our lawmakers to stop making cuts in higher education; I believe most people believe that high tuition should not limit education.”

• Parking:

“I’ve talked to commuter and resident students; both believe the other has better parking compared to what the other has.”

“I want to make more parking spaces available at the student center and the West Center.”

Garvin seeks to improve communication between various campus clubs and organizations and research the potential of instituting a late-night volunteer student escort service from parking lots.

• Legal advice:

One novel idea he plans to introduce is giving each student 30 minutes of free legal advice per year from a local attorney. 

“Students potentially get in trouble and they have folks at the university they can talk to, but not an actual attorney.”

• Other platforms: 

1. Freshman to sophomore retention

2. Improved communication between various campus clubs and organizations

If you are elected president, what will be the first item or objective on your 

agenda?

A. “Tuition is going to be a top priority. If you talk to anyone on campus, it’s hurting our pockets.”

Garvin wants to encourage more students to participate politically, especially when lawmakers in the state are deciding their academic futures.

“We’ve got to equip our next generation to lead our country.”

Q. What do you feel that you have to offer that’ll make you the right candidate for presidency?

A. “One thing I always take with me is the idea of fervent leadership. Often, you find people in leadership positions that believe they’re on a different level when it comes to interacting with people. They go to their ivory castle and they just stay there.” 

“My idea is going out there, talking to the student body and figuring out what they want to see done.”

“I think I’ve established good relationships on campus and community service. I just think we need someone who can submit to the student body — who has energy and enthusiasm.”

Q. How does it feel knowing that you are making history by running in the first student-wide, democratic elections in 10 years?

A. “That’s a big deal. I’m taking this issue quite seriously. If you just look at the events I have planned — if you look at my platform, this is absolutely a momentous time for a campus and for a community and for the university as a whole.” 

“We want to get as many students out to vote — as many students out to this race. Hopefully, this enthusiasm we generate from this campaign will be the purpose for students to get more active, not only in CSL, but other organizations.”

“This campaign is much more than Kambrell Garvin; this campaign is about the student body. This campaign is how we’re going to move our university forward into a new decade.” 

Timothy Kroboth

Classification: Junior

Major: Political Science and 

Economics 

Minor: International Studies

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

Age: 21

Time at WU: 3 semesters

Other colleges: University of Kentucky and American University at Cairo, Egypt

Leadership Experience: College of Arts and Sciences CSL Representative, Global Learning Initiative (GLI) Committee

Q. Why did you decide to apply for the position of president?

A. “I feel like it’s important to have a good number of candidates, especially since this is the first election in a number of years. I wanted to be a candidate in order to actually represent what the students want. I’m asking students what the one thing is that they want to change at Winthrop.”

“I want to communicate with people and ask what they want to see here.”

Q. What issues will you focus on, if elected?

A. “In terms of changing parking, I’m not sure that’s something I can change for sure. But I’d definitely like to work on extending the hours of the library and computer labs, maybe keeping them open for 24 hours. I realize that may be a high-end objective for right now, but that’s one thing for sure I’d like to change.”

“I don’t have a car because I’m an econ major, and so I feel like I’m on an island. But I’d like to give students the type of program where they can rent a car for an hour or two, if they have a student I.D.”

“I’d like to work with GLI and leaders on campus to encourage global awareness events on campus, especially global culture events. I’d like to promote opportunities to go abroad…It’s actually really easy to go abroad, and I’d like to work with the International Center.”

“I’d also like to promote the National Student Exchange, where you can go to over 200 other American colleges at the same price as Winthrop’s tuition. “

“It might sound like a lot, but if I’m in office for a year, then I obviously can’t get all these things done, but I can at least get the ball rolling.”

Q. How do you plan on winning student votes?

A. “I’m going to be campaigning one-on-one. I’ll be handing out flyers individually to students and asking them what’s the one thing they want changed. My e-mail address will be there, and they can e-mail me whatever they want changed.”

“It’s a lot easier to remember how to vote when you have a physical flyer in your hand.”

Q. What makes you the right candidate for president?

A. “My diversity, in terms of having been to Kentucky and Cairo, as well as experience in terms of being on CSL two years ago and other organizations on campus. My leadership experience and diversity is what makes me the right candidate for this position.”

Q. What are you most excited about concerning the election?

A. “I’m excited about the actual election, and getting students interested in the election. That’s the reason why it was sacked years ago: nobody cared, and nobody voted. The most important thing is having people caring, and making people realize there’s a candidate out there who actually wants your opinion.”

Clifton Totherow

Classification: Junior

Major: Psychology/Philosophy

Hometown: Fort Mill, S.C.

Age: 23

Time at WU: 3 semesters

Other colleges: University of Colorado, Metro State University, Phoenix University

Leadership Experience: President of Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Historian of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Manager at UPS, Recruiter at Pinnacle Security.

Q. What made you decide to apply for president?

A. “I’ve had good experiences here for the most part. I haven’t been entirely happy, though. They take a lot of shortcuts. Some shortcuts are necessary. They don’t have the biggest budget in the world, but a lot of them aren’t so necessary.”

 “There’s a lot of places that Winthrop is trying to excel and making progress with, but there’s also places where there’s not a whole lot going on.”

Q. How do you plan on framing your campaign?

A. “I’m going to do as little as possible — spend as little money as possible. $125 can go a long way.” 

“I’m expecting people to get up there and start talking about what their agenda is, but that’s not what that job is. I’m going to spend my time finding out what the majority of the community wants to see done and pursue that, rather than just my own goals. “

Q. What are your qualifications for this position?

A. “I love challenges and I hope this is a challenge, I hope it won’t be terribly easy. If this was an easy job I wouldn’t be applying for it because then I’d know that any Dick, Harry and Tom could do just as good a job as me. But since it’ll be a challenge I feel as though I can excel at it.”

Q. How do you plan to win student votes?

A. “There’s no better advertisement than word of mouth, but I’m not really going all out for campaigning. I don’t really like campaigning. For me, it’s a waste of time and money.” 

“If people have the facts, that’s all they should need to vote. I’m going to take this position to make Winthrop, as a community, better.”

Q. What makes you the right candidate for president?

A. “I don’t know if anyone can say they’re the right candidate, even if they’re elected. Time will tell; when you’re done with office and can see what you’ve done and haven’t done. That’s when you know.”

 “I just know that I’m qualified and can handle it. If one of the other candidates is more qualified than me, I hope they win; I want the best person for the job to get the job. I just don’t want somebody who is only trying to put it on their resume to get the job, and then stall Winthrop’s progress.”

Q. How does it feel knowing that you’re making history by running in the first democratic election in a decade?

A. “I’ve always made history, so it’s nothing new. When I was president of RYLA, I more than tripled our membership and doubled our funds; they’re still doing really well today. Everywhere I’ve had my hand in things, I’ve done the best I could.”

Q. What issue will you focus on, if elected?

A. He proposes a new office made up of paid student positions called Voice Out, Be Heard.

His proposed webpage will contain several surveys for students to point out the issues they feel are important. 

“It’ll make sure student concerns don’t go unnoticed. Especially on a small campus, student opinion should weigh a little bit more.”