Each spring, students select a new student body president and vice president. Early last month, Andy Hurtig, senior in accounting, and Joe Tinker, junior in psychology, were voted into these positions, respectively.
They just have one man standing in their way.
Current student body president Reagan Kays, senior in agribusiness, said that he feels that it just isn’t the right time for a change in leadership.
“I don’t think it’s a good time,” Kays said. “With the big budget cuts coming from Topeka and policy changes being made here at K-State, I’m just wary to hand the reins over.”
Kays and current student body vice president Cody Kennedy, senior in education, have seen the implementation of their platform policies, from getting online tutoring options to switching campus organizations to OrgSync. Yet their Lifeline 911 policy, which has been adopted at K-State, has yet to make it all the way through legislators in Topeka – an issue Kays said he intends to see through until the end.
“This project has been so important to Cody and I and the students of K-State,” Kays said. “I can’t abandon it just because the turnover is expected.”
Kennedy, however, isn’t on board with the plan.
“I appreciate Reagan’s intent, but this just isn’t the way things are done,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had our time, and I think Andy and Joe are more than capable of carrying on our projects as well as starting their own. At this point, the policy and the presidency are kind of out of our hands and we’ve got to step down.”
Kays and Kennedy are both set to graduate in May, and Kays said he would like to see the presidency through until the end rather than swear in Hurtig at the April 9 student governing association meeting as planned. This time is often used so the past president can serve as a guide to the new president and offer them advice, as well as giving them time to be a normal college student again.
“I know this has got to be a hard thing to give up, but it’s kind of frustrating,” Hurtig said. “It would be helpful to have Reagan here for the first month of my presidency and I know he’s passionate about this job, but it’s time.”
Hurtig has served as Kays and Kennedy’s chief of staff for the past year. He has served in senate each year since his freshman year. Still, Kays has concerns.
“Cody and I have put in a lot of time and we’ve had some complication projects throughout our time,” Kays said. “I’m just concerned if I go ahead and swear him in, all this hard work we’ve put in will get thrown to the wayside.”
Senators are set to vote to approve the election results Thursday and swear in new senators, Hurtig and Tinker on April 9. Hurtig said he hopes Kays will reconsider in the coming weeks.
Disclaimer: This article is an April Fools’ Day joke and is not meant to be taken seriously.
