Who she is and what she’s running for

Lauren Sharp, an Omaha, Neb. native, is a junior entrepreneurial management and marketing double major.

Sharp currently holds the position of vice president for operations in Student Government Association and is running for re-election.

She was elected to the position at the end of last semester, but said she has been involved in SGA for about three years.

Prior to vice president of operations, Sharp was the John V. Roach Honors College representative in the Student House of Representatives for four semesters. She also chaired the Student Relations Committee.

“And then I merged two committees and created the Student Experience Committee, which I chaired this past fall semester," she said.

Her platform

“Over this past semester, I’ve proven at seeing projects come to completion,” she said.

Sharp said one of her biggest accomplishments was the implementation of making testing materials available to teachers.

Sharp explained how she, with the help of advisors, created a system for teachers to submit their requests of how many and what kind of scantrons they need.

“This completely eliminated the need for students to bring any testing materials to class,” she said.

In addition, Sharp said the excess materials have been placed at the Mary Couts Burnett Library for students to access for free.

“This project has been well received by both teachers and students,” Sharp said. “If reelected, one of my goals is to expand this program to get more teachers on board.”

Her second point is to expand upon the issue of transparency within the Student House of Representatives by developing a 'projects database’ and further developing the SGA website.

These two entities will allow students to go online to the SGA website and see what their student representatives and officers are currently working on, she said.

“I feel like this not only creates and open dialogue with the student body, but creates accountability among the student body representatives and officers,” she said.

Her current initiative is working with administration toward putting a printer in each residence hall beginning in the fall, she said.

“We’ve recently received approval of this project, and they’re actually implementing them into Moncrief Hall and Waits Hall starting the beginning of the summer,” Sharp said.

Not only will the implementation of printers in residence halls be convenient, but Sharp also sees it as as safer alternative to walking to the library or the Brown-Lupton University Union late at night.

With the printer project being a pilot program, Sharp said she hopes to expand this into all residence halls during her term if re-elected.

Sharp said Director of Housing and Residence Life Craig Allen, who is in charge of the initiative on the administration’s side, has full intentions of putting printers into each hall.

Her strategy

Other than placing signs around campus, Sharp created a Facebook page, facebook.com/votesharpvp, as well as a Twitter account, @VoteSharpVP.

“I really use this to communicate with the student body what I’m doing,” she said.

She said the social media accounts were originally created for her first campaign for vice president of operations. She was able to use the same Twitter handle and Facebook page to announce her second campaign for re-election.

“I think that most of TCU is on social media,” she said. “I think that it’s a great way to reach out. It’s a really easy way for students to learn about what you’re doing.”

Sharp said she plans on using social media more in the coming days as the election draws near.

One of her tactics includes posting pictures on Facebook of students around campus posing with her signs and supporting her campaign, she said.

In addition, Sharp said she would be outside the Mary Couts Burnett Library on election day.

Why she’s running

SGA went through a rough time with the happenings of last semester, particularly the SuperFrog statue incident, and needed a ‘recovery’ semester, Sharp said.

This semester, she felt extremely fortunate to help restructure SGA, she said.

“While we’ve accomplished so much together and truly created a purpose for SGA, we still have a lot left to do,” she said.

Sharp said while she has a lot of individual projects, the bigger focus is on how to help SGA reach its potential in what it can accomplish for the student body as a whole.

The momentum SGA has gained in this "recovery semester" is too important to students and the campus to leave unfinished, she said.

For example, Sharp said she hopes to take programs like ‘March on Campus’ and make them a continuous outreach to students, rather than a one-time thing.

Sharp said March on Campus was an initiative by the student body officers to pair current members of the Student House of Activities with student organizations. The representatives presented to the organizations what SGA is, how the Activites Funding Board works and how their organization is funded.

“I think we definitely need to renovate [March on Campus],” she said. “Change it in a way that makes it more continual outreach.”

This, she said, would involve assigning a student representative to each organization on campus to create strong relationships with members.

Sharp said the representatives would be held accountable and would help push the student outreach in the direction SGA wants it to go.

“We can’t expect students to positively receive outreach right off the bat,” she said. “We must continue to push forward.”

Why should students vote for her?

“I am insanely and extremely passionate about vice president of operations,” Sharp said.

Although she could run for another position, Sharp said she feels passionately about the position she currently holds.

“I’ve started initiatives this semester which I want to expand upon,” she said. “I don’t think I’m done with my work as VP of operations.”

In addition, Sharp said she believes she is the most qualified candidate for the position having served in the position this semester.

Sharp said she has been able to produce tangible results, something she considers important for vice president of operations, as the position is more of a ‘project manager’ role, unlike the president who tends to be ‘visionary.’

“I think that SGA needs consistency and people who truly understand the positions,” she said. “I love this position and want to continue to grow the initiatives that I started.”

Sharp said with her experience, the initiatives she expects to develop, if re-elected, would be effectively implemented.

“I’m not running for a resume boost or to move up in the ladder,” she added. “I truly want to humbly do the work of the student body and carry it on.”

Sharp said the rigorous agenda she and the other members of SGA tackled this semester was more of a warm-up lap, and there is still much to be done.

“There’s a lot to do, but I’m extremely excited about it,” she said. “Overall, I just think that I have ideas, pre-existing and new, that will continue to improve campus life and SGA.”

Sharp said she would love to hold the position of vice president of operations for another term to show her passion and commitment to students and SGA.