This year’s Students’ Association election brings two sets of unique candidates for SA President and Vice President. If Caleb Finck and Matt Dahle were elected, Finck would be the first in many years to serve a consecutive term as SA President. 

According to Dahle, who serves as finance chair, and Finck, their experience on the executive board, and Finck’s experience as president, is a major strength for their campaign.

 “We have the experience that no other ticket has. Historically, it hasn’t happened. I think we have the experience and the skillset…it almost puts a responsibility to better serve the students,” Dahle said.

 Finck and Dahle’s platform includes continuing the strategic plan. They will continue to work on the career development office, work for increased funding for club sports and make progress on the Wellness Center expansion project, Finck said.

 In the next year, Finck and Dahle plan to get the Wellness Center expansion underway, following an increase in fees to get the remodeling project started.

 “We will use the fee to one, hire the architect…and second bring in a contractor,” Finck said.

 Once started, the project will take an estimated 18 months and the Wellness Center will remain open through the project, Finck said.

“All in all, not just building, but providing a value for students. I won’t agree on any GAF increase unless it values students,” Dahle said.

 The theme of their goals is continuing what they have already started, Finck said. They hope to continue to bridge the gap between students and administration by reaching out and taking issues to the proper administration.

 “It takes a while to build the relationship with administration. Getting into those it took a long time and that is having phone numbers rather than emails, if I have an immediate problem, they talk to me and we can get something done,” Finck said.

 Finck and Dahle hope to revisit the Good Samaritan Alcohol Policy next year and bring an alcohol diversion program to Brookings. The program, in a pilot stage in Vermillion, would allow first time underage offenders to prove sobriety for 60 days by taking a breathalyzer test and complete an alcohol class. Upon successful completion of the program, the individual the underage ticket would never be filed on their record, Finck said.

 As for communication with students, Finck and Dahle plan to continue the progress shown by the Monday Morning Message sent out each week.

 “We’ve got a really good start with what we want to do. One of us is the prime sponsor on all three resolutions that has passed,” Dahle said.

 In last year’s election, Finck and Dahle ran opposite each other. According to Finck, that doesn’t mean they won’t work well together.

 “We quite often have different views but we can come to an agreement on how we are going to represent an issue. It makes us a good pair,” Finck said.