The end is in sight.

Political cream puffs were eliminated from the ASUO candidate races during the brutal primaries, and now all that remains is for student voters to pick the ultimate winner in the general election April 21 through 23.
Gabe V. Kjos, a sophomore and double major in journalism and political science, and Rodrigo Moreno Villamar, a junior political science and anthropology major, will go head to head in the general election for ASUO Student Senate Seat 4, a position that includes a commitment to the EMU Board of Directors.
Besides helping decide how to spend next year’s senate surplus, the person who is elected to Seat 4 will have a hand in running the EMU by helping allocate more than $3 million in student incidental fees invested annually in the building and its services.
Kjos said a passion for student leadership is at the core of his candidacy. He added he has a deep appreciation for student groups and the medley of events they provide to the campus community throughout the year.
A list of leadership-related activities peppers Kjos’ resume, including working as an intern in the ASUO and serving as vice president of the Residence Hall Association. However, Kjos said many students have questioned him about his suitability for Seat 4 because he hasn’t been involved in an EMU program. He said his remoteness from the inner-workings and bureaucracy of the EMU gives him the added advantage of unbiased perception.
“I have the experience all around campus to be an effective leader,”
he said.
Kjos hopes to pursue a future in law after graduating from the University and aspires to work his way to being a servant of the citizenry as a district attorney.
Moreno also said helping others is one of the primary goals in his life, but he doesn’t think practicing law is in his future. He added that his time at the University has opened up his mind and has made him even more passionate about what happens to other people.
“I’m not sure where life will take me, but I’m sure I’ll be working for the greater good,” Moreno said.
He said the necessity of helping others has always been a part of his life, ever since his adolescence in Mexico City. Moreno said he spent a large part of his youth there and became very involved in fighting for the public good when the area was experiencing political upheaval and turmoil in the movement for indigenous rights. He added he now wants to pursue his desire to help others by serving as an EMU Board finance senator in the ASUO.
“I’m now trying to apply my conscience at a local level,” Moreno said. “It all has to do with student access. The students need to have a voice.”