The University campus has been bombarded with campaign pamphlets, “Vote Now” signs and even felonious sidewalk chalking extolling the virtues of this or that candidate. Such a flood of ASUO election paraphernalia might repel students with already hectic lives, but choosing who will run next year’s student government is a crucial matter that shouldn’t be ignored.

Students can seize the opportunity to elect the leaders they want in the general election April 21 through 23.
For ASUO Student Senate Seat 3, students can choose from Colin Andries, a first-year law student, and Beth Overgard, a freshman political science major with minors in music and business. Seat 3 is also an ASUO Programs Finance Committee position, and the person who is elected will need the ability to sit through five-hour-long budget hearings and allocate more than $5 million in student incidental fees.
Law students are not exactly commonplace in the trenches of student government, but Andries hopes the student voters will make an exception in his case. He added that being a law student isn’t a huge disconnect from being an undergraduate, and having a representative who isn’t embroiled in the politics of student government will benefit the student body.
“I can be the outside eyes in the situation and can make the impartial decisions,” he said.
Getting involved again in a campus community teeming with student events and activities lured Andries into running for a position with the ASUO. He said he relishes the opportunity to interact with student organizations on campus, especially with regards to helping them with budgetary problems and concerns.
Andries was involved in several student organizations as an undergraduate, but he said his proudest achievement was coaching his younger brother’s soccer team and being able to watch the kids grow and develop. He added that even though he moved around a lot as a kid, soccer always gave him a sense of belonging and acceptance.
“It’s a recurring theme in my life that wherever I go, I play soccer,”
he said.
Overgard, a small-town Oregon native, said that even though she’s only in her freshman year, students shouldn’t hold the misconception that she is inexperienced when it comes to student leadership. During her high school career, Overgard said she attended leadership camps and really fell in love with the idea of politics when she did a government job-shadow in the state capital.
Overgard said she grew up on a farm, which she used to her advantage during the primary campaign by bringing two baby ducklings to Eugene with her to help get her noticed.
Sometimes voters want to know not only if candidates for political office are qualified to be leaders, but also if they are compassionate people. Overgard said one of the kindest things about herself is she donates blood on a regular basis. She added that it’s something she’s passionate about because a person can save the lives of others by donating blood for only a few moments of pain.
Erasing biases within the committees should be the priority of student leaders, Overgard said, and will be her main goal for improving student government, if she is elected.