A year after a loss, moving on

David Marsh placed 3rd in 2015’s student body president race

David Marsh, a political science and management and society major, said his senior year has gone by quickly.

He interned at the tobacco firm Altria over the summer, interned with a Chapel Hill law firm during the school year, went through recruitment for a job after graduation and spent time with friends.

Marsh said he has been involved in swing dancing, campus ministry and student government at UNC, but he sees the future as full of opportunities as well. 

“I’ve got things I want to accomplish and it’s good to have more of an optimistic attitude,” Marsh said.

Marsh said he appreciates going to a school with people from many backgrounds.

“There are such a wide range of people on campus … If you sometimes get out of your comfort zone there are a lot of things you can experience,” Marsh said.

Marsh said he will be working at Oracle in Austin, Texas after graduation. He said he would like to own his own business one day and be involved in public service.

“I think the idea of giving back to your, whether it be community or state or whatever constituency, I really like the idea of that,” Marsh said

Marsh said running for student body president taught him about public speaking. He said when a person loses, you see who they really are.

“It was pretty cool connecting with people on a personal level,” he said. “I realized that’s what it was all about.”

Dale Bass, Marsh’s former campaign manager and friend, said Marsh is very grounded. 

“He always has a way of substantializing any plan he has or anything he does with his life,” Bass said.

Kathryn Walker lost to Houston Summers in a runoff election

Kathryn Walker, a senior journalism and political science major, said she considers losing the student body president race one of her greatest trials and successes during her time at UNC.

“It taught me how to empathize and understand where other people, in that case students, are coming from,” Walker said.

Walker is currently a part of student government, the College Republicans and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

“I think you can tell how much you’ve loved a place by the feelings you have in leaving it, and I am very sad to be graduating and leaving Chapel Hill,” Walker said.

After graduation, Walker said she will be an intern to UNC-system President Margaret Spellings and the UNC General Administration. Walker said she’s not sure if she wants to hold a position in government in the future.

Walker said she wants students to participate in student government and feel they can make a difference.

“There is a general sense of apathy on the part of students to student government,” Walker said.

Jessica Porter, a junior who was one of Walker’s campaign managers, said Walker’s campaign was special because a female candidate speaks to so many different things that a male candidate cannot. 

“I think that she is a great role model for me about trying to achieve leadership positions and not be afraid of putting yourself out there,” Porter said.

Walker said she wants to encourage other women to run for office and to feel like they’re just as qualified to run as men.

“I did run as a candidate who was breaking up a boys’ club,” Walker said.

— Compiled by staff writer Emily Wakeman