Sean Powell, a junior political science major, is running for ASUO president. Tyler Lofquist, a junior political science major, is running for vice president.
Q: There are, at last count, 10 tickets running for ASUO Executive, which is more than previous years. What do you think will set yourself apart from other candidates?
A: We are not the typical president and vice president team. We really tend to represent the student body at large. We think the first thing that sets us apart is that we are more in touch with students and are willing to work with them.
Q: What is your platform?
A: Our platform is getting students back into student government. There is a lot of apathy. We plan to have events that allow students to show their views. Right now, we cannot say what we plan to do with the incidental fees because we want students to tell us how they want it to be used. We are really worried about budget cuts being taken from higher education.
Q: What would you advocate for at the state level, and how would you carry out your plans?
A: We would say the budget. A lot of legislators do not want to cut the money from higher education, but it is something they will be forced to do. If we could get them to cut less money, that would be great, or to have them set up some type of rainy day fund.
Q: What specific campus-oriented initiates would you champion?
A: We think that student housing rights will be a big one. Students need to be aware of what they are getting into when they get a lease or a rental agreement. We want to know how the budget is being appropriated and allocated. The budget is the largest thing that the ASUO is in charge of, not only how it is balanced but how the money is distributed.
Q: How would you define diversity? And how do you plan on bringing diverse voices together on campus?
A: Basically, not everyone believes the same thing, not everyone looks the same, or worships the same thing. Diversity is the differences between you and me and how we bring those differences together. The Multicultural Center has brought about a good change at the University, but we also need more events for diversity. This is not saying some type of diversity day, where we have a dance. An event that would be better is some form of advocacy.
Q: If two student groups were at odds with each other, how would you resolve the conflict?
A: A lot would depend on what the conflict was. I would want an appointed committee and the vice president to help me make a fair decision based on the issues. I would want the student groups to meet with me at different times.
Q: If there was one thing you could change about the University instantly, what would it be?
A: We hate to be repetitive, but it would be bringing the students back to the student government. We would like to see students really care about what is going on at the University. We think that they are just not educated about what their student government does. That seems wrong to us.
Q: How would you do things differently than the current ASUO Executive?
A: We do not have a clue who the vice president or who the president is. A lot of people that we know do not have any idea who they are. What we want to do is get out there, get our faces seen and our agendas heard. We want (students) to know there is no problem too small for us to handle.
E-mail reporter Danielle Gillespie
at [email protected].