Knox Trask, a third-year studying agriculture business management and current student senator for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is running for student body president for the 106th session of NC State’s Student Government. His running mate is Hubbard Stack, a first-year studying fashion and textile management, current student senator for the Wilson College of Textiles.
In the Student Senate debate on Monday night, the candidates positioned themselves as a community-oriented team, making the office of student body president and vice president more open to the campus community and more involved in students’ lives.
Stack said the pair’s main focus is to bridge the gap between the Student Government and the student body they represent. They noted how, in years past, students could be intimidated when approaching Student Government officers.
“We want to make sure that people feel comfortable coming and talking to us about each issue. We have our beliefs, and we stand firm in them, but we’re not close-minded,” Stack said. “We want to keep an open mind and hear out all perspectives and know all the facts before we make decisions on anything, and we’re never going to make people feel unwelcome for thinking something.”
Community is a main highlight of Trask and Stack’s campaign. Trask emphasized the importance of being on the ground, interacting with members of the community and being involved with student organizations.
“Constantly being someone present around that [students] see. [A student body president] is not hidden away within Student Government. You are actively out on campus, you are actively meeting with people, you are actually following up with people,” Trask said.
“You aren’t just some symbol that’s hidden away; you are present. You are going out of your way to make sure every organization knows what Student Government is, how they get involved and how it can really benefit [students],” Trask said. ”Your job is to benefit the students. And I think I don’t think Student Government really does a good enough job right now to do that.”
Trask also emphasized the importance of being connected to campus student organizations as student body president.
“In a position like this, you represent all students. So, I want to make a point where we contact each student organization. There is a list of everybody on there, and we would love for them to come to us, [but smaller clubs may feel uncomfortable approaching student body officers], so we would love to go to them … I want to be actively visible, and seen and to really, truly help them,” Trask said.
Trask added to those sentiments, stating how he doesn’t want to be tucked away in the Student Government office, but rather out and about, involved in the campus he would lead.
“I do not want to sit there, in that office, and hide in there the entire time if we have this position. I’d love to be out and about, visibly on campus, constantly meeting with students and really getting involved in everything,” Trask said.
Trask and Stack emphasize the community in Greek life in their platform. Trask said he plans to collaborate with the Interfraternity Council and various sorority presidents to form connections with students in these areas.
“[The Interfraternity Council], all Greek life, feels like it is a separate branch away,” Trask said. “I would like to go in and see what we can do to make their lives easier and better represented as a student organization.”
When asked about affordability and tuition at the Student Government debate on Monday night, Trask and Stack said they want to partner with the Board of Trustees and student admin to address community concerns about student fees.
“If something happens where all of our students are voicing concerns that [tuition cost] is too much money, or too much increase, we’re gonna work with the Board of Trustees and university admin to make sure that the problem is addressed,” Stack said. “That [fees] are either brought down, not enacted or something else is decreased, so we can make sure all students are able to get their education here at NC State.”
Stack said another of the pair’s main goals was to expand and equalize academic advising across all colleges. Stack drew on her experience at the Wilson College of Textiles and its Wilson for Life program, which provides career support and resources to alumni after graduation.
“I think we need to make sure that each student gets equal opportunity advising, as well as ePack. The College of Textiles is the only college that has lifelong access to ePack and career services. So [we want to work] with the career heads at Wilson to make sure we can expand that to each college and get all students equal opportunity there,” Stack said.
In an email to Technician, the NC State Career Development Center debunked this claim, stating that all students will have lifelong access to ePack, even if they are alumni.
“Alumni services provides ePack access to alumni free of charge. Once students lose access to their email account they can contact Alumni Career Services, [email protected],” the Career Development Center said in a clarification email.
Stack said she and Trask both value leadership in their administration, and they understand the importance of responsibility and hard work
“We understand that leadership is important to [NC State] and your [student body] leaders’ impact on this college,” Stack said. “I grew up with my family in my ear, telling me that leadership is the biggest skill you should have and it’s the most important thing in this world. And we understand the responsibility that is leadership.”
Stack encouraged community members to vote, as using their voices is the first step toward connecting students and Student Government officials.
“Go vote … It is so imperative that you go vote because we have to get over 50% of the votes to avoid a runoff. Every single vote counts and every single voice counts,” Stack said. “The biggest way we can start hearing student voices is if you vote. That’s the easiest way to put your voice in your opinion: just to go vote.”
Trask echoed Stack’s sentiment to students, encouraging them to show up and vote.
“Your vote directly influences your experience on this campus. And so you should vote,” Trask said.
NC State students can vote in person in the lobby of Talley Student Union, the Engineering Building II breezeway and online on March 9 and 10.
