CLC student Dawson Price, 21, is running for president of the Student Government Association, with the term starting next fall semester.

Price has been a student at CLC since June 2024, majoring in mechatronics and robotics. When he started his degree, he didn’t know if it would be a right fit for him. However, when he got into the programming portion of his degree, he felt “110% hooked on it.”

Before he joined CLC, Price got his first taste in programming while playing the popular survival game, Minecraft. Within the game, players are able to use command blocks to perform tasks like teleporting from one location to another or summoning much needed items or mobs. He spent most of his time during the pandemic learning how to use command blocks in Minecraft and developing an interest in it. 

“The logic that follows it is so similar to what’s actually happening with programming robots that it’s just a little click and switch in language,” Price said. 

While attending CLC, he connected more with the college, but he noticed a lack of “inclusion.” 

“The main factor would be [to] attract people to go join events,” Price said

Price said that rather than events that are focused on specific groups, they should revolve around the entirety of the student body. Instead of the students coming to class and immediately going straight home, he wants to find a way to keep the students at the college. 

“I really want to make CLC a better place for all students to feel welcome and actually have a place to go and have things to do,” Price said. 

When Price thinks about DEI, he said he focuses on inclusion, not on whether a student belongs to a particular group. His emphasis is on ensuring that students feel included, whether through participation in clubs, organizations and events or through transparency and communication between students and the college

“A lot of them still don’t feel like they have a place here at CLC,” Price said after talking to students at a campaign event. “If they’re saying that they don’t feel included, that means that they’re wanting to be included.” 

Since Price is a mechatronics and robotics major, he mainly spends his time around the science building (A building). He said the college has a problem with promoting events on that portion of the campus. When he’s walking down the hall, he said he mostly sees promotions about his major and not much else. Price wants to see more promotions and decorations around campus that identify with the “different and diverse people at  CLC.”

Price would like to ask art students around the college to see if they would be willing to pitch a design to draw. He said it would make the college more vibrant, give students more representation and provide a chance for students to “leave their mark.”

Price hasn’t been part of SGA, but he has attended a few meetings. From his experience, he said SGA lacks efficiency and hastiness when it comes to getting events rolled out. Price said since some SGA positions are paid, they should be quicker to move as well as being transparent with what their money is going into.  

“With how fast we’re moving to plan such casual events, I personally think it’s a waste of students’ money,” Price said. “The money is supposed to go to the school, which is then given to SGA, which is then supposed to be refunded for students, making student life better.”

Price wants to have bigger events that allow clubs and organizations to better reach students. He said he would try to get the gymnasium so that the students have a chance to know some of the clubs and organizations that CLC offers. He wants to try to have events with outside organizations like scholastic and have a book fair or something of that scale. 

“For the most part, they really do plan out one event at a time,” Price said. “We could actually plan five events out at a time. From what I’ve seen, it  really is just sitting behind a big board with the title of the event.”

Members of SGA are also required to talk to administrators and listen in to some of the changes that are occurring around campus. When it comes to the administration and what happens around the college, SGA doesn’t have a vote, but it has a voice. Talking to administrators and getting them to agree is important, especially when you only have a voice and no right to vote in the decision making process. 

“I will be the accumulation of the students’ voices,” Price said. “We have to come to some type of a compromise. This is what the students want to happen, and they’re the ones currently attending the school”

Price said although he doesn’t know how the administration works, he would work toward maintaining an open communication and, for the most part, “griping them politely.”

There are two  candidates running for SGA President, Gwendolyn Thommes and Dawson Price. Elections are taking place March 10 to the 12,  and the results will be announced on March 13.