Between campaigning, helping at the international student orientation, practicing Swedish and working at an ear, nose and throat clinic, ASUO presidential candidate Rachel Pilliod somehow finds time to volunteer in the emergency room at Sacred Heart Medical Center on Saturday nights.
In fact, if there’s one weakness Pilliod has, it is trying to take on too much, her roommate Megan Hughes said.
“Rachel has a hard time saying no. She’s trying to do everything at once — school, friends and the ASUO,” she said. “She wants to save the world.”
Pilliod, currently the ASUO Health and Wellness coordinator, moved to Springfield, Ore., with her mom and two sisters when she was in middle school and graduated from Thurston High School in the Class of 2000. The political science and pre-med double major said she wants to be a gynecologic oncologist, and said her background in politics is directly related to her medical interests.
“My political interest is women’s healthcare issues and my scientific interest is the cancer aspect,” she said. “I imagine there is a future for me in politics, though not necessarily as an elected official, but more as an advisory position.”
Pilliod’s running mate, Ben Buzbee, also keeps busy with his position on the Student Senate and the EMU Board, which leaves him little time for his other hobbies — skiing, playing guitar and reading everything from newspapers and magazines to Ayn Rand’s
“Atlas Shrugged.”
He said he’s been reading the newspaper “straight through” since the third grade.
“My parents were supportive, but they didn’t really understand it,” he said.
In fifth grade, he signed up for an after-school stock market class, he said, and today he pays particular attention to business section of the newspaper. In 20 years, the finance major said he sees himself owning an asset management firm and retiring early.
“I’ve never been a nine-to-five type,” he said. “I’d like the time and money to pursue what I find interesting — whether it’s business ventures, traveling or starting a charity.”
Though he’s never “aspired to be a politician,” he said he’s found student government to be very interesting.
He said that, if elected, his role as vice president will complement his career goals well because the position “focuses on the fiscal side of things.”
“The opportunity to do something like this will be valuable not just for my career, but for personal growth as well,” he said.
Pilliod added that the two make a good pair.
“Ben has a stronger background in finance and I have a stronger background in the health care and legislative aspect, as well as student organizing,” she said. “We complement each other nicely in that regard.”
A mutual friend introduced them last year, and they found they had common interests in student government and similar campaign goals, although neither came to the University with the intention of running for ASUO Executive, Pilliod said.
“We wholeheartedly believe in these campaign ideas,” Pilliod said. “We’ll stick to our campaign now, and there’s always room for new ideas and involvement of students.”
Buzbee said he thinks the biggest challenge the two will face if elected will be “changing the perception of ASUO for University students.”
He said he’d wants to address the question of whether the pair will be open to new campaign ideas.
“I’ve heard concerns that because we had such a visible platform that we won’t be open for suggestions — that we’ll be part of an elite, closed-off end of ASUO,” he said. “That is absolutely not true. Just the two of us can’t sum up how the campus will be better on our own, nor should we want to.”
Pilliod added that accomplishing all of the students’ differing priorities will also be a challenge.
“With so many issues affecting students, we want to make sure each one gets enough attention and support,” she said.