Cameron Barrett is an economics graduate student running for SGA president with Students Unite. | Michael Slaten/The Cougar
Cameron Barrett’s grandmother told him once that you’re more likely to find someone that has done meth in his hometown of New Caney, located about 30 miles northeast of Houston, than someone with a college degree. Now, Barrett is midway through his master’s degree in economics.
“It was kind of like the same mindset as just a bachelor’s for most people,” Barrett said. “It almost seemed not optional.”
Barrett is a first-year Student Government Association senator, but he’s been involved in SGA for two and a half years. He is running for SGA president with the party Students Unite.
After finishing his undergraduate in two years, Barrett planned to pursue a master’s degree or two, he said. After college, he wants to work in the government or non-profit sector to find ways to improve the efficiency of their resources.
“I feel like you’re more directly helping people than if you’re doing the same thing for, like, a corporation,” he said.
After finishing his day on campus, Barrett drives home at about 9 p.m or 10 p.m. At home, he plays video games, watches videos online, and finishes his leftover work.
“When we started running, my friends were asking, ‘Well what’s the scandal?’” Barrett said. “I really just go home at the end of the day.”
Barrett first got involved on campus by joining the Student Democrats and running their finance and research. He was on the board for a year, and after leaving, became more involved in SGA.
Shaun Smith, who was SGA president three administrations ago, is whom Barrett hopes to model his administration after.
Barrett hopes to model his administration after that of Shaun Smith, of the 52nd Administration, whom Barrett believes was a good manager and nice person.
“His administration was, I think, last time SGA had a cohesive family kind of attitude,” Barrett said.
If Barrett is elected, he wants to start an SGA textbook exchange service, where students can go to SGA and get a free textbook rental for their class. Students would be able to donate their textbooks, and SGA would dedicate their funds to acquiring textbooks students need.
“At the very least, if someone asks, ‘What does the SGA do?’ Well, oh yeah, you can go to them and get a free rental on your textbook for the semester,” Barrett said.
Additionally, Barrett said that commuter students who also maintain a job are the ones most likely to be a victim of crime. Part of the Students Unite platform is a safer campus. He said there are too many security guards hanging around the residence halls when the bus stops are more likely to be target areas for crime.
He wants to have security guards redistributed on campus.
“A lot of people have said we won’t win because working class kids don’t vote, and they have a point,” Barrett said. “The SGA should give those working class students a reason to vote.”
