The ASUO Student Senate has nine academic seats that are intended to represent academic categories — such as social science and business — at the University. Five students are vying for Seat 15, Social Science.
The Emerald asked each candidate three general questions and one specific question about student government: What is the most important part of Senate Rules Section 5, which lists senators’ duties?
Kevin Curtin, a sophomore political science major, is involved with the College Democrats and was an ASUO legislative intern his freshman year. While he didn’t know that Section 5 contained senate duties, he said being impartial was the most important duty.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Curtin: Well, I’ll sit down and listen to the groups that want the surplus money. I’ll patiently listen to what they have to say. And once I’ve listened to what they have to say, I’ll make a vote based on what I believe is right.
Q: How will you interact with student groups?
Curtin: Keep the avenues of communication open and show respect to the different student groups, whether I personally disagree with what they’re doing or not. I would make my decision based upon what they’re actually doing with the money, and how they’re helping the University. I believe I have the drive to go out and communicate with different student groups and fight for their views and concerns in the senate.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you’ll be representing?
Curtin: Just making sure their voice is heard, making sure students have an avenue to state their beliefs and opinions and concerns. I would actively seek out my constituents and communicate with them, find out what their views and concerns are.
Jordan Marx, a junior political science major, is a resident assistant in H.P. Barnhart. While he didn’t know that Section 5 contained senate duties, he said distributing the surplus is a primary duty.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Marx: One of the primary difficulties of politicians and bureaucrats is limited resources with infinite wants and needs. The best way to distribute fairly the surplus is from a very fiscally moderate position. I understand that student groups have people behind them who find fulfillment in the groups. However, we do have a limited budget, so we have to be a bit more fiscally conservative.
Q: How will you interact with student groups?
Marx: I know that you’re required to have office hours as a student senator. I would definitely make myself available to discussion and compromise.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you’ll be representing?
Marx: I think both intellectual and cultural diversity are very important. Again, coming from a moderate perspective, I think there’s a place for every viewpoint on campus. I would also like to work on some issues with disabled students. I have a learning disability myself, and I’ve had a supportive community around me. I’d love to work with Disability Services to see if ASUO can benefit disabled students on campus.
Dan Occhipinti, a sophomore majoring in political science and philosophy, is the vice president of Beta Theta Pi. While he didn’t know that Section 5 contained senate duties, he said distributing $8 million in surplus funds is the primary senate duty.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Occhipinti: Well, it’s going to be a combination of the impartial approach to various student groups and organizations, combined with the critical thinking of who needs it, who wants it, why — cost-benefit analysis there — and then an overall just proactive agenda to make the campus a better and safer place.
Q: How will you interact with student groups?
Occhipinti: Well, I’d like to make available my e-mail address, and definitely set up appointments anytime somebody would like to come in and discuss anything. And also, I’m sure I’m going to have questions for them, too. So I’ll be contacting the groups, asking them what they’re looking for from the ASUO senate.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you’ll be representing?
Occhipinti: Well, one is definitely the safety of campus, particularly women on campus in light of last year’s events. No. 2, I think, is the increased surcharges. It’s a balance between coming up with money, right, but also, we can’t just expect people to keep paying more.
Gabriela Serrano did not respond to repeated attempts by the Emerald to schedule an interview.
Adam Turcott, a freshman political science major, is the Residence Hall Association finance chairman. While he didn’t know Section 5 contained senate duties, he said bringing the opinions of students he represents to the floor of the senate is the most important duty.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Turcott: We need to keep college costs affordable for students, while maintaining the programs that we already have and possibly adding some more diverse programs to the University. Groups would have to offer a diverse forum for the students, and it would have to, I believe, affect the most students possible for the money that the senate gives them.
Q: How will you interact with student groups?
Turcott: Student groups? Well, of course the senators hold office hours, and they can come to me. I was thinking of having some kind of a newsletter to go out once a month to keep people informed. There’s really not that many student groups, so keeping them informed and involved, I think, would be a simple task.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you’ll be representing?
Turcott: I think the University needs to attract more speakers, more diverse big-name speakers to come, and encourage the students and maybe let the students open their ears and hear what they have to say, from all different parts of the political spectrum, as well as literary speakers.
Click below to see the full transcript of the candidate’s interview:
Curtin Interview
Marx Interview
Occhipinti Interview
Turcott Interview
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