Lock Whiteside is what some might call a fighter.
Whiteside said he champions student rights, and if this candidate for student chief justice gets his way, one of his first duties will be to make this clear.
“I’m not afraid to stand up against administration, and I’m not afraid to stand up to student leaders,” Whiteside said.
He said he plans to increase the burden of proof the Judicial Board requires to find students guilty of code of conduct violations from its current stance of “clear and concise” to “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The switch will make it so board members must be 90 percent sure a student is guilty, compared to the 75 percent standard now.
He pointed out this burden of proof is important because of the profound consequences board decisions can have on a student’s life. Some of these decisions may even result in suspension or expulsion.
“Students [who] come before the board could have their life impacted,” Whiteside said. “We need to make sure the student is guilty before making that decision.”
Whiteside also said his experience serving in all three branches of Student Government will help him find a way to fix the tense relationship between the Judicial Branch and the rest of Student Government.
“Someone needs to be able to mend those bridges,” Whiteside said.
A member of the Judicial Board since fall 2004, Whiteside said he has learned students aren’t as aware of the nuances of the code as they need to be. He said to prevent them from even coming before the Judicial Board in the first place, it’s necessary for him to go out into the community to educate the public.
Whiteside is a senior in political science.