Every week the editorial board reflects on a current issue in Our View. The position taken does not reflect the opinions of everyone on the Hilltop Views staff.

Elections for St. Edward’s University’s student government association will begin April 4 at 8 p.m. The editorial board has decided that unlike last year, it will endorse a ticket for SGA president and vice president.

The best candidates for SGA are Sen. John Wooding for president and Sen. Souther Recio for vice president. They are the only ticket currently running that have the right amount of skills and experience to tackle the problems plagued by student government.

Many students do not participate with SGA because they believe the organization is full of students seeking something to add to their résumé and that it is too dramatic — Wooding is the only candidate that can change this sentiment.

Wooding is an outsider who has the perfect mixture of SGA, real world and leadership experiences to head the association. The fact that he is willing to make tough decisions for students, regardless if they hurt his image, has shown us that Wooding can propel SGA to the next level.

Wooding is the only candidate ready to lead on day one. There will not be a learning curve like his opponent, Samantha Mendoza, who would need training on her first day as president if elected. Students deserve a leader-in-chief, not a trainee-in-chief.

However, there is a place in the president’s cabinet for Mendoza; she should be considered by Wooding for the external affairs position. As external affairs director, Mendoza would be required to reach out to all campus organizations, promote school spirit and plan events for SGA. Her skill set and personality would be a perfect match for this position.

Wooding has a better grasp of student issues. He knows that there are a variety of things students care about, but narrows it down to three major issues that affect almost every student — tuition, parking and housing.

Wooding wants to develop a better relationship between students and the administration so we can know why our tuition is increasing. 

Now for parking, Wooding believes that by lowering the cost of a parking permit more students will be able to buy one and avoid the financial hardship someone might endure by a parking ticket.

The fact that Wooding knows what it means to struggle in life is great for students. Wooding understands this plight because he has gone through it himself. Only people who have experienced what it means to be poor can truly understand the meaning of struggling. Wooding’s personal experience will give him what no book, professor or class can —  empathy.

Wooding also has one issue in his campaign that relates directly to SGA: reforming it.

SGA needs to be reformed. For far too long SGA has gone without checks and balances; it’s time to keep it in check by giving the president the right to veto a bill. It’s surprising that SGA lacks checks and balances given that a lot of its members are political science majors who should know how a real government works.

Student government should not be a “good ol’ boys club” full of people just from student life; there needs to be diversity. 

These are our representatives and the composition of student government should reflect the student body, not a single office with a single agenda.

It’s time for student government to actually mean something, and only Wooding can rise above the drama SGA seems to always be embroiled in, to actually make a difference.