Carson begins building her team

Before Student Body President-elect Eve Carson takes office, she must assemble her cabinet – a process that can be time-consuming and complicated.

Applications for the positions in the executive branch were released Monday.

Carson will accept applications for vice president, treasurer, secretary, chief of staff, senior adviser and various committee positions until midnight March 12.

Carson said that many students already have expressed interest in joining her Cabinet and that she is looking forward to reviewing applications.

“I’m actually really excited about that,” she said. “I hope we can get a great applicant pool.”

In past years, student body presidents often have appointed key campaign workers to Cabinet positions. Three of the five students Student Body President James Allred selected for top spots were members of his campaign team.

Carson said she will avoid drawing the majority of her Cabinet from her campaign staff.

“I’m going to try and spread the word as widely as possible,” Carson said. “It’s going to be about getting the best people involved regardless of their experience.”

Former Student Body President Seth Dearmin said less than half of his Cabinet members were part of his campaign team. “That helped build a student government that was more representative of the entire student body,” he said.

Carson said she is contacting leaders of student organizations and members of other campaigns in addition to her own team to encourage students to apply.

Jon Kite, who ran an unsuccessful student body president campaign this year, said he has spoken to Carson about participating in student government next year.

“Initially, I didn’t think I was going to be involved,” Kite said, adding that Carson asked him to consider applying for the vice president job. “I definitely know that I will be applying for something.”

Though Carson said she will encourage all of her campaign workers to apply for positions, LeVelton Thomas, Carson’s campaign manager, said he is unsure whether he will submit an application.

Allred’s campaign manager, Jonathan McNeill, did not apply for a Cabinet job. Allred said that decision allowed him more freedom in choosing officers.

“This is one of the most important parts of the student body presidency,” Carson said. “I want hardworking, enthusiastic, creative people who are willing to go beyond the basis of the platform and search for innovative ways of addressing the issues.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.