That’s right – the student government election is officially here! Every candidate this year displays leadership qualities, charisma, and determination. Voting in this campaign is simply choosing the superhero you know best and idolize, when in a crisis. Electoral voting begins April 3 and ends on April 5.
Khyla Diggs (she/her/hers), SUNY Cortland junior, is a dual major in Adolescence Education Social Studies and History, with a minor in Africana Studies. I had the pleasure to interview Ms. Diggs about her candidacy and what she has to offer to the campus. The Middletown, NY native was very amiable and made the interview process smooth-sailing.
Question: What extracurriculars are you a part of, and what are your roles?
Khyla Diggs: Currently, I’m (2x) President of the Black Student Union (BSU), Secretary of Men of Value and Excellence (M.O.V.E), an EOP tutor, peer tutor, and Cortland’s Urban Recruitment of Educators (C.U.R.E) office assistant.
Q: What inspired you to run for President?
KD: Since high school I have always been heavily involved in the overall school community. For my past two years here at Cortland, I have held the position of President of the BSU. Through holding this position, I have had meetings with amazing faculty members, President Bitterbaum, and have had the opportunity to participate in multiple events such as student panels. I love what I do currently, and essentially wanted to do it in a way that more students on campus are reached. Student advocacy is something that I am passionate about, especially with my future career and what better way to accomplish that than to run for SGA President?
Q: What adjustments do you plan to bring to the SUNY Cortland campus?
KD: There are a million things that I would love to bring to SUNY Cortland. However, that is unrealistic. So, if I do win, my two main areas of concern will be campus involvement and accessibility on campus. Both of these concerns are things that are very important and personal to me, as well as things that I believe would enhance the experience of all Cortland students regardless of identity, and ultimately that is my goal.
Q: How will you prioritize the role of President, along with your academics and other involvements?”
KD: I have always been extremely involved on campus and have never lacked in any of my academics or other involvements. If I am elected I am unable to be part of any other clubs and hold positions, so that takes care of that. As far as my jobs, I get to choose my own hours, which is no more than 5 hours a week, so I assure the student body that this would not be an issue for me. It will be my senior year so I’ll be wrapping up my course load, and in many ways although becoming President would undoubtedly be a huge responsibility with a heavy workload, it would be my only extra curricular I feel more than prepared to take on.
Q: What strategies will you use to foster a positive and inclusive campus?
KD: Inclusivity is a huge concern of not just myself, but the other candidates as well. As stated previously, one of my main concerns, should I be elected, is campus involvement and that starts within SGA as well as the club sports on campus. At the beginning of the fall semester, all clubs must participate in a Diversity Equity Inclusion training before they can start hosting meetings. A huge part in creating an inclusive campus in my opinion, is to ensure that all the clubs truly understand the impact and responsibilities of DEI, and during that training, I hope that we can make that abundantly clear. Secondly, I want to build a healthy rapport with the student body on campus so that anyone would feel comfortable enough to share with me their experiences on and off campus so that I can help us as a community take the next steps in creating a healthy inclusive environment.
Q: How do you ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to succeed?”
KD: In all honesty this is a very difficult question. The campus is not a small one, and that is a huge task to manage. However, I think the best way to go about this is to work with those offices on campus that offer resources as well as the members of the SGA cabinet who will hold the position of public relations. I have been fortunate enough to know and work with a multitude of the resources offered on campus. Whether that be the career center, learning center, health services, DEI office, etc., and I know that many of the students here don’t know that these exist let alone how to access them. By building a relationship between SGA and these offices I hope to increase awareness so that students feel supported throughout their entire time here.
Q: n your opinion what are the duties of a student leader?
KD: In my opinion, a student leader should know how to advocate for others, embrace themselves in the community, and demonstrate transparency. A student leader should also recognize others on campus that aid in their ability to lead, as well as simply building up those same qualities in other people and making everyone feel like they can or do possess those same qualities. As stated previously, advocacy is a huge passion of mine and regardless of the outcome, I will advocate for people who may not feel comfortable doing so. I genuinely want to foster a campus community and environment where we can all feel comfortable and supported, meanwhile advocating for ourselves.”
Q: Why should the students of SUNY Cortland vote for you to be President?
KD: I am passionate about this. I have lived on campus, and I have dealt with mental health issues, physical health issues, discrimination issues, academic issues, and so much more. But, I have persevered and become a stronger person out of it. I know that it wasn’t easy for me and if I didn’t have the support that I had, I’m not sure I would still be attending SUNY Cortland. Yet, here I am. And because of that, I want to create that sense of belonging that took me a year and a half to find. I want the students to know that one failure doesn’t determine the entirety of your college career. I want to do the work to build that campus that I, and so many others needed when I first arrived in Fall ‘21. All of these reasons are why I’m running, and maybe that speaks to you enough to at the very least hear me out.”
Q: What’s the impact or legacy that you’d like to leave?
KD: Win or lose, I want to be remembered as a genuine, kind-hearted, individual who always put their all into anything they were part of. As previously said, I am extremely passionate about these issues that I plan to focus on if elected. Win or lose, I will work to create that environment on campus. Win or lose, I want to work with disability resources and promote DEI. Win or lose, I want to help the campus increase its knowledge on resources. Win or lose, I will still be the person who prioritizes student advocacy and speaks out against wrongdoings. I hope that in some way I have already accomplished that but until I cross that stage in Spring 2025, I know that I have more to do.
Ms. Diggs has a passion for student advocacy, dedication to not only what affects her but those in the community, commitment to improve and provide for the campus, and just to be a person SUNY Cortland can count on. Throughout the interview, Diggs exemplified leadership, initiative, integrity, and vulnerability, and I have no doubt that she will do the same if elected to be SUNY Cortland’s next SGA President. Her previous and current experiences have seemed to have made her a strong and resilient person. Diggs is encouraging any and everyone who has questions about her candidacy to reach out to her.
If you have any questions on Khyla Diggs candidacy or interview you can email either one or both of us.
Khyla Diggs: khyla.diggs@cortland.edu
Autumn Pittman: autumn.pittman@cortland.edu
Don’t forget that the Student Government Association elections are open to all SUNY Cortland students from April 3rd to 5th on Cortland Connect. To make an informed decision before you vote, take a moment to check out the profiles of other candidates in the News Section of our website!