THIS. STARTS. NOW.
Those three words define the spirit of the Skinner + Muñoz-Sarabia campaign.
Devon Skinner and David Muñoz-Sarabia are running for UNT’s SGA President and Vice-President positions for the 2021-2022 academic year. Their platform is based on three things: empowerment, advocacy, and transparency.
Skinner and Muñoz-Sarabia’s initiatives can be broken down into focusing on diversity and inclusion at UNT and ensuring accountability and transparency in the SGA. They also plan to address transportation concerns, create resources for mental health, bring students to the table, be real about proactive representation, ensure a safe return to campus amid COVID-19, and make SGA more accessible to students.
“We want to make sure that we are empowering others with the platform which these positions hold. Our platform is centered around “This Starts Now”, which we see as the basis for real, actionable, and fundamental change for the student body,” said Skinner.
SGA has faced obstacles in recent years. The SGA Senate has consistently had empty senate seats leaving potential legislation at a standstill. In December of 2019, former SGA Vice President Hillary Shah resigned, citing “consistent isolation, dismissal, and belittlement” as reasons for her departure.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with the SGA, watching it both succeed and fail. I have been outspoken about the changes that need to be made ever since I was an intern,” said Skinner. “I believe that the position holds a platform which must be utilized for the benefit of all 32,000 members of the Student Body in unprecedented ways.”
Along with being involved in SGA, both Skinner and Muñoz-Sarabia have held leadership positions in numerous extracurriculars. Skinner has been involved in the National Society of Leadership and Success and multiple committees and Muñoz-Sarabia has been a part of the Residence Hall Association and Latinx/Hispanic Student Association. Both of them feel these have prepared them well for these positions.
“I decided to run for Vice President to make a meaningful impact. Making a meaningful impact is only achieved through actionable changes. It is done through connecting with students while being on the ground,” said Muñoz-Sarabia. “Stories contain much importance since they reveal the journeys we have taken and how it made us into the people we are today.”
If elected, Skinner and Muñoz-Sarabia want to use their platform as an outlet for change at UNT. Not only to help students but to encourage them to stand up for what is right.
“With that intention, we must be active about empowering others with our platform, amplifying the voices of the unheard, and being a resource for students who want more than the minimum expectations,” said Skinner and Muñoz-Sarabia. “We will do that for the student body, and we will stand with them in the good times, and the bad.”
Connect with the Skinner + Muñoz-Sarabia Campaign:
Twitter and Instagram: @tsn_unt
Facebook: @tsnunt
Website: www.thisstartsnow.org