DaVonte Watson is a sophomore psychology major from Birmingham, Alabama. He is running for the position of Student Government Association (SGA) Treasurer with the help of his campaign manager, Kaleb Keith. While a student at Huffman High School, Watson received A-honor roll and was inducted into the Student Hall of Fame. When making his decision to attend Alabama State University, he highlighted his pursuits of “growing academically, becoming more disciplined and advancing in his musical abilities.”

Q: Why are you running for office?

A:  I want to run for this office because for change to happen you need to start somewhere and this is the perfect place to fight unnecessary fees, give students more options, and fight for policies that will affect students in a positive manner.

Q: What issues do you plan to address in the first 30 days of your term, if elected and why?

A:   In my first 30 days, I do want to hit the ground running by reutilizing flex for washing because that is an essential need for all students that live on campus.

Q: Do you know the number of students who are enrolled at ASU, the SGA’s budget, and the university’s budget?

A:   I do know that we have a range between 3,000-4,000 students here on campus. Due to the lack of transparency with the SGA Budget, which is another change coming if I am elected, I don’t have the exact number but I do know it is around $29,000. Also, I found in research that the university’s budget is not at the forefront either, I found that in 2018, the university’s operating budget was $122,584,956.

Q: Do you believe the SGA’s budget should be increased and if so, why? (please get a detailed reason(s) for what the money will be used for).

A:   I do believe that the SGA budget should be increased because the world around us, as students, is constantly changing and with that change we need to be ready for it. For example, when the pandemic hit, the university’s response was unacceptable by just giving a two-day notice for students to be off-campus and I feel as if there should have been more funding allocated to the SGA to help students with moving expenses, flights, and bus tickets to get students home safely.  If I am elected and the budget is increased, that money would go toward an emergency fund so that students can be assured that the SGA has their back when unprecedented situations happen. Funds would also go toward funding a program for all undergraduate students to learn basic life skills for their future after college such as learning how to pay bills, financial literacy, investing, etc.  It is all about preparing students for the future.

Q: What are some concrete things that you want to see accomplished before leaving office next year?

A:   Some concrete things I do want to see accomplished before leaving office are, of course, the flex for washing and some infrastructure changes around campus. I took note that we are being charged for parking decals without adequate parking available to students. Overall, I just want to make sure that before I leave that the office of treasurer will have a bigger mark in SGA and the students are better off than when I came into office. I want to inspire students of the future that their voices are heard and that they can be the change that we need.