Editor’s note: The SG candidates are listed in alphabetical order.Student Government election season has officially begun.Three of the four candidates registered for 2010-2011 presidential season announced their candidacy at 4:30 Wednesday.Brooksie Bonvillain, who currently serves as SG Senate speaker pro tempore and senator for the Manship School for Mass Communication, is running for president with vice-presidential candidate Chris Sellers, former senator for the College of Arts and Sciences.Bonvillain and Sellers announced their candidacy in the Holliday Forum of the Journalism Building under the slogan “Leading the Way.”Bonvilliain said she’s running on a platform of four principles: leadership, experience, accountability and dedication, or L.E.A.D.She said her pushcard addresses “several aspects of campus, and not just one or two issues.”The main items on the pushcard include eliminating the football ticket lottery for freshmen, placing bus stops near new off-campus housing and creating a SG scholarship fund.”Brooksie and I have the dedication to see all of our initiatives through,” Sellers said. “In the upcoming weeks, you’ll find us in Free Speech Plaza and around campus getting the message out about our candidates and issues.”Ninety students are running on the Bonvillain/Sellers ticket, including mass communication sophomore Cody Wells.”Brooksie is by far the most capable candidate to get the initiatives done,” Wells said.J Hudson, who currently serves as SG director of external affairs, is running for president with vice presidential candidate Dani Borel.Hudson and Borel announced their candidacy in Free Speech Plaza on Wednesday under the slogan “StudentsFIRST.”The main point is to put students back on top, Hudson said.”With my experience in Student Government, I’ve seen where members boast their own opinions before looking at student opinion,” Hudson said.Borel said one of the big problems is SG loses connection with students and said she and Hudson want to represent the entire student body’s needs.”We bring fresh ideas and unique approaches to problems many simply write off,” Borel said. “Universities were established to serve the needs of students, therefore we must re-prioritize and place students first.”Points on Hudson and Borel’s pushcard include advocating against budget cuts, extending the add/drop class time frame and donating funding to the community from unused meal plans.”We will give students the option to donate funding from unused meal plans back to the community and partake in service learning classes in every degree,” Borel said.Hudson spoke on keeping the University strong despite budget cuts.”With your help, Dani and I will put students first,” Hudson said. “We will work with you, campus administrators and community leaders to ensure that the Flagship institution of this state remains top-tier in every way.”Borel said they are advocating for the adoption of 32 initiatives to fully express this ideal — five focusing on the campus, six on the community and all centered around the students.”The budget crisis will take a lot of focus and resources in upcoming semesters,” Borel said, “but our student lives will continue regardless and so should progress to enhance these crucial years in our lives.”Theo Williams, who currently serves as SG assistant director of external affairs, announced his candidacy for president with vice presidential candidate Millena Williams, mass communication junior.Their campaign, “Geauxing the Distance,” has about 60 students running on it.They took the stage in the Greek Amphitheater, thanking their campaign for its support.”I’m excited about what these next three weeks will bring,” Millena Williams said.Theo Williams said he is running for president to address many student complaints.”I decided to run for the students who are tired of parking 30 minutes from class — for the students that are angry their classes are getting bigger and have to push their graduation dates back,” Theo Williams said.Some of the points on the pushcard include a commuter lot route in the Tiger Trails bus system, allowing student body input in SG executive staff meetings and supporting the launch of a Forever LSU student campaign.”Today I am calling on you so that a purple flame ignites in your heart and a golden ray from the sun will shine down,” Theo Williams said. “We are LSU!”Bryan Wooldridge, business management sophomore, is also running for president with vice president John Craig, mechanical engineering sophomore.Wooldridge and Craig haven’t officially announced their candidacy, but plan to do so next week.They are running under the slogan “Two Kings for LSU” and are advocating sporks in the Union and increasing school spirit.If elected, Wooldridge said the goal is to not mess up what’s already good in SG.The 4:30 Wednesday announcement marks the beginning of the campaign season, which will continue until the election on PAWS on March 23.–Contact Catherine Threlkeld at [email protected]