Editor’s note: This story is the fifth in a five-part series profiling each of the presidential and vice presidential Student Government tickets. The stories will run in alphabetical order based on the presidential candidate’s last name. Environmental sustainability has been an important plank in each Student Government candidate’s campaign platform throughout this semester’s election season. But one ticket has even adopted the color green to reflect its campaign.The More ‘09 ticket claims it was the first campaign to tackle the issue of environmental sustainability on campus and has continued to develop those policies.Under the leadership of presidential candidate Stuart Watkins, human resource leadership development junior, and vice presidential candidate Martina Scheuermann, mass communication junior, the More ticket says University students deserve more from their SG representatives.Watkins first served in SG as executive assistant for former SG President Cassie Alsfeld in 2007 and 2008. During those years, Scheuermann also served in SG as the president of the University Council for Freshman Year.Throughout the campaign, Watkins has said he and his running mate would serve as equals in any potential SG administration.”We work as a team, and it will take that balance to get the job done,” Watkins said. Watkins and Scheuermann said their campaign platforms have focused on small sustainability issues which could be easily achieved despite impending budget cuts. To cut down on waste during the campaign season, Watkins and Scheuermann said they set up two recycling bins on either side of the campaigning in Free Speech Plaza for students to deposit the push cards they had collected. The More ticket brought them back to their respective tickets at the end of each day.PROGRAMSIf elected, the More ticket said it will find a permanent position in its executive staff which will focus on campus sustainability programs. Included in those programs is a plan to consolidate night classes into fewer buildings and to regulate the temperature of campus facilities to save energy costs.Along with buying more recycling bins and recycled paper products, Watkins said he has already spoken with the Agricultural Center about a possible composting system using leftover food from the dining halls.Watkins said his potential administration would also push for an online syllabus database. The database would compile the syllabi of professors from previous years to help students making scheduling decisions.Though they said budget constraints would not allow any SG president to permanently extend library hours, Watkins and Scheuermann said they had set up a proposal to extend operating hours on the Saturdays and Sundays before finals.Because SG members are not allowed to lobby the state government for student issues such as tax-free text books or reduced budget cuts, Watkins said his administration would work in an informative capacity when it came to addressing the state.”We cannot promise tax-free text books as SG, but if elected, we can provide the legislature with information about why we need tax-free text books,” Watkins said.Watkins did promise students more free blue books and scantrons by making them more visible and available, and said his administration would establish and effective night route for students from on-campus residences to Tigerland and back.BUDGET CUTS, FINANCEBecause the operating budget of SG is most directly influenced by student fees rather than through University funding, Watkins and Scheuermann said their administration’s greatest defense against the millions of dollars in budget cuts facing the University would be wise spending.”Martina and I, through responsible and rational leadership, will make the most of the fees you pay,” Watkins said. The ticket said by continuing programs such as Eye on the Tiger, which offers a complete online list of all SG spending over a two week period, and saving money with sustainability programs, SG can minimize the effects of budget cuts on students.—-Contact Adam Duvernay at [email protected]