SGA presidential candidate John Fields wants to focus on affordability, lowering student fees and improving the academic advising experience. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
Student Government Association presidential candidate John Fields’ campaign and term focuses on reviving SGA’s motto “Service Above Self,” while aiming to entice student advocacy.
“I think over the last two years (service above self) has been lost,” Fields said. “One thing I want to work toward is making that the motto of my administration every single day: service for students, service for the community comes over ourselves and over any personal gain we have. I want SGA to be synonymous with service.”
Fields feels his experience and established professional connections with UH administration set himself apart from his fellow competitors.
He joined SGA his freshman year, winning all the votes for a senate seat in the College of Business. This past year, Fields served as Speaker of the Senate for the fall semester, overseeing several committees, including Student Life, Academic Affairs, Administration and Finance and Internal Affairs.
It was in this executive branch position that Fields gained perspective of the intricacies that happen behind the scenes.
“You have to have a good standing relationship with a lot of the key players at the University if you want to get the things you want completed,” Fields said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do in previous years — make sure people who make the influential decisions know who I am and have a working relationship, so we can start advocating for students day one and in the best possible way I can.”
His focus for his term targets three things, the first being improving and embracing the University’s affordability.
“UH has a lot of students who are on financial aid, and I want to fight for every single day to make sure the University of Houston is an affordable place to go to school,” Fields said. “When we were founded, one of the things they wanted was for this school to be ‘a working man’s college.’ They didn’t want it to be another ‘rich man’s school,’ and I want to keep that mindset as we grow as an institution.”
Fields’ second target is to avoid tuition raises and a reduction of student fees. During current SGA President Shaun Theriot-Smith’s term, Fields supported and advocated a reduction is student fees from the Student Fees Advisory Committee to help make college less of a burden on a student’s wallet.
“I want to make sure they keep in mind the affordability factor,” Fields said. “I really want to be conscious about that and want to make sure the University being is conscious about (affordability), because it’s an investment of time and money. I want to make sure you’re getting the most of your college experience for the dollar.”
His third target is improving academic advising experience for all students. He has heard several complaints regarding a poor academic adviser to student ratio, causing some students to take classes they did not need, delaying their graduation.
Learning from previous terms’ shortcomings, Fields wants to build a relationship with administration that lasts beyond his term. If elected, he want to leave office knowing students and faculty can respect SGA’s opinion, so the next president can come in and continue the success.
“I want to make sure we are doing everything we can to be of service to students,” Fields said. “At the end of the day, we’re here for students, and we want to make sure everyone knows and feel they have a voice in SGA.”
Never vote for him.
Why?
Makes a statement with no reason. Cool story bro
Why should students vote for a honors student on scholarship. He hardly represents the average UH student. He also left his speaker position half way through. That shows a lack of commitment. This is likely just a resume builder for his business degree.
If you’re looking for a representation of the “average” student, then you may want to consider a write in. And at least John has actual experience with the workings and power of SGA.
John will simply serve as a mouthpiece for the school to gain more connections in the business world. As Speaker he was not able to take control of the meetings, many which ran over by many hours and included frequent arguments. John is simply following the REDvolution party and calling it something different. It’s time we have an SGA President that actual embodies the average student. Sadly, as John has a large Bauer following, there will be nothing we students can do to stop him for assuming the role of president. John has made empty claims of wanting to improve WIFi and decreasing costs but these are things the university is already constantly working on. Also, John is FB friends with the writer of this article. We need an unbiased investigational report of our potential student leaders.
Lobbing harsh and false criticisms as you have from behind a pseudoname is shameful.
I wasn’t present for the summer meetings, but John ran the fall Senate meetings well, striking a reasonable balance between brute efficiency and allowing the discussion necessary for the Senate to serve the student body.
Clearly you weren’t at the meetings. I have to keep my anonymity as I am a current senator. There’s no falsehood here. Meetings were often disorganized, ran over, and involved arguments that wasted a lot of time.
“UH Coog”,
As a “current senator” then should know that I’ve been to every meeting, save one, since the beginning of the fall semester.
My denunciation of your accusations still stands.
It’s good he has friends defending him. Unfortunately, an SGA president, as does any good leader of so large a student body, needs more than friends willing to overlook his foibles in order to earn the trust of his fellows. He therefore should be held to the highest standard possible. The SGA is not intended to be a springboard to corporate success; it’s a form of scholastic governance meant to improve the academic lives of those it represents. This is both a duty and an honor. He should be mindful of both — without compromise of either. Ever.
Colvin, I’m not defending him. I’m just calling people out for making false accusations.
I agree SGA’s should not be about resume building or advancing political agendas. If there’s ground to criticize John on for doing so, I’m fine with that.
You can’t even get the right party and candidate to match up. Parking and WiFi? That’s Shane you fool.
Thank you for expressing your concern. While I, like many students at UH, have been fortunate to receive a scholarship that covers a portion of my tuition, it does not change that we need to be constantly fighting to make UH as affordable as possible so that every student can have the opportunity to attend our great University!
I would encourage you to talk to anyone involved in SGA about my commitment to the organization and to the University of Houston. I had to step down from the office of Speaker due to a temporary internship that is part of my degree plan, but this in no way affected my ability to represent the students at UH.
If you would like to talk about any concerns you have about the University of Houston and my ability to represent those concerns, I would love to talk to you at anytime! You can contact me at [email protected].
Actually, the fact that you have not sat on a single committee while with the SGA, and then bailed in order to pursue an Internship (and start a Presidential campaign) and also lied on air with a pro-gun radio-show about your affiliation with the Tea Party front group, Students for Concealed Carry, when directly asked while you were Speaker with the SGA , speaks to your integrity and lack of transparency. Students deserve a leader who values principles over politics, not a person using student government as a resume-builder while pushing a Tea Party agenda. If the DC wishes to try to provide you cover with their fawning profile, that is their cross to bear; but UH students also have a “right to know” the truth about your allegiances whether the DC is derelict in their journalistic duties or not.
To come to the defense of TDC, this is not dirt-digging exposition on a candidate, it was an interview. This isn’t TDC catering to any one person more; it is them listening to the candidate talk about what they hope to accomplish in office. Will “dirt” come out on these people? Of course it will. Just ask VP Tanzeem Chowdhury or ex-prez Charles Haston about the stupid stuff they had to deal with while campaigning. It has in the past and it will for this election, but you’re crazy if you think student journalists are actively diving in looking for watergate-esque scandals in a SGA election.
I will say this though: After featuring GFUH’s anti-Mascorro video it would be in TDC’s best interest to do Mascorro’s candidate profile rather quickly before they do seem outwardly biased.
A thing needn’t be WAPO-level government corruption in order to be wrong and misguided. Lots of little worms wriggle out when one turns over rocks, not necessarily huge monsters.
Agreed, and nice analogy, but again, you don’t see every interview with every politician turn into fervent prodding of questionable things they’ve done in office. In fact, most breaking headlines or controversies are brought to journalists by people like you and me. Just look at the video you made on Mascorro. TDC picked it up and featured it as NEWS, and yet the “guest” above still seems to think the writer is in bed Fields.
Do I think TDC is biased? Absolutely. And they themselves have admitted to being biased… to the left.
https://thedailycougar.com/2015/08/27/we-need-more-balanced-opinions/
So I don’t very well think it’s within TDC’s M.O. to be “fawning” a candidate so right leaning.
I’d like to see the discussion happen right here to be honest. Because as the dialog stands Coog has made enough of a case to call your credentials into question.
Fields does not oversee the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee.
The thing about Mr. Fields Im most curious about is service to students campaign. He says he FOR the students but what has he actually done. I read an article saying that he left because of an internship; WHEN did he find out he had to do it? I talked to some SGA senators they said “That he announced at the end to last meeting in December which was December 7 but he didn’t vacate he seat until DECEMBER 31″ So are you telling me that he still got PAID from STUDENTS MONEY for doing NO WORK. ” Am I suppose to trust someone who believes in getting paid for nothing WOW. HIS CAMPAIGN wants to lower student fees but it is obvious he doesn’t care about saving money. My next point what has he actually done since he been in SGA… I wait……..waiting……waiting……..nothing!!!! that what I thought. I saw the first meeting in which the new speaker conducted the meeting it was obvious that the old speaker MR.FIELDS did not provide him with guidance. The next meeting I heard MR. SALINAS did a lot better, that means he actually cared about his position UNLIKE MR. JOHN FIELDS
Where was you when Fields vacate? Sorry for bad English.