Campaigning for Undergraduate Student Government elections on the Tempe campus started Monday, but signs around campus can only provide so much information about the candidates.
The State Press conducted a survey of the four presidential candidates and their running mates to learn about each ticket’s platform before the April 6 and 7 elections.
USG controls a more than $2 million annual budget, the majority of which comes directly from student fees.
Jacob Goulding
Year and major:
Sophomore, business Running mates/vice presidents:
Michael Wong (policy) and Tina Mounlavongsy (Services) Platform includes:
Instituting a monthly “letter from the president” to keep students informed of USG initiative and events; extending Thanksgiving break to relieve mid-term stress for future calendar years (the 2010-2011 calendar has already been set); fighting tuition and fee increases; and creating a system to disclose class information prior to registration.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: We want to bring the skills, experience and passion for student issues and meaningful change to student government.
Q: What experience qualifies you for the position?
A: Leadership experience both in and out of USG will make us ready to lead on day one.
Q: What do you think is the most important issue of the election?
A: Predictable, affordable tuition.
Q: What is the No. 1 change you would like to see on campus? Why and how will you accomplish this?
A: Better communication. Many students don’t know what student government is — yet, if anything, student government should be accountable to students.
Q: How will the University’s current financial status affect your goals?
A: We acknowledge the current financial situation, and more importantly, we acknowledge and want to start at the source of the problem: devastating budget cuts passed by the Arizona Legislature.
Q: What strategies do you plan to use to pursue your goals?
A: We feel the biggest issue is the increases in tuition and fees that have come about in the last few years. We plan to create a six-credit internship program lobbying the Legislature on behalf of every student at ASU, advocating higher education as a priority in order to slow the increase.
Brendan Corrigan
Year and major:
Junior, political science
Running mates/vice presidents:
Lucas Lindsey (policy) and Allison DeVane (services) Platform includes:
Working to provide limited free parking on the Tempe campus overnight and during early evening hours; the addition of fall break to future academic calendars (the 2010-2011 calendar has already been set); fighting tuition and fee increases; and providing semester-long bike rentals through USG’s bike co-op.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: We are running for office to shift the focus of student government back onto the student body.
Q: What qualifies you for the position?
A: I have served on the executive board of two of the largest organizations on campus: the Residence Hall Association and the Interfraternity Council. DeVane is currently a Barrett, the Honors College, senator and vice president of the Student Alumni Association. Lindsey has served on the executive board of his fraternity, and currently serves on the executive board of the Student Foundation.
Q: What do you think is the most important issue of the election?
A: Students deserve tangible results, not unattainable promises. Our platform has been fact-checked with University personnel so we are confident we can deliver the results that students want.
Q: What is the No. 1 change you would like to see on campus? Why and how will you accomplish this?
A: The most important issue is that students get a return on their investment into USG. Delivering our platform ideas will ensure just that.
Q: How will the University’s current financial status affect your goals?
A: Our goals will not be affected by the current financial status of the University in terms of the services we will provide, but we will take a practical approach to provide a sense of predictability for tuition and fees. Q: What strategies do you plan to use to pursue your goals?
A: What distinguishes us from our opponents is we have taken steps to ensure the plausibility of our platform initiatives.
Starting as early as last semester, I sat down with University officials from Campus Recreation, Parking and Transit Services, the Office of the Provost and Cannon Printing Services to fact-check our ideas.
We didn’t want to hit the campaign trail promising unattainable goals, so we have already laid the groundwork for all of our policies. We already have the green light from the appropriate University personnel as well as the finances to deliver these tangible and visible results that will benefit the student body.
Sharvil Kapadia
Year and major:
Senior, industrial engineering
Running mates/ vice presidents:
Bryant Flick (services) and Kumuda Pradhan (policy) Platform includes:
Working with the state Legislature to support higher education, including fighting tuition and fee increases; providing 24-hour computer access on the Tempe campus; hosting a bi-monthly question-and-answer session allowing students to directly address all three executives; and increasing safety campus-wide.
Q: Why are you running for office? A: My involvement in USG throughout my college career has primed me for this position. I’m running for office to provide viable solutions and concrete promises.
Being president of USG for one of the largest universities in the nation means responsibility and ability to understand the system and bring solutions to the table that are actually successful.
Q: What experience qualifies you for the position?
A: I serve as the president of the USG senate and have been a senator for the past three years. In this time, I’ve sat as a substitute through presidents’ meetings, headed the Senior Class Council and represented ASU nationally. I understand how USG works and have the skills and vision to make that vision a reality.
Q: What do you think is the most important issue of the election?
A: Tuition. Tuition. Tuition. We have lobbied the administration and lobbied the Legislature. Students need to be an active part of identifying solutions to reduce the cost of higher education. We’ve started this off with the identification of the amendment of Prop. 105, (which requires the majority of registered voters, not just voters casting ballots, to approve any citizen-initiated measure that raises taxes and other obligatory fees).
Q: What is the No. 1 change you would like to see on campus? Why and how will you accomplish this?
A: We want students to know what USG is doing, so that they can be more involved in what is going on.
We want to reach out to students with face-time through bi-monthly open forums and monthly updates on myASU.
We will provide a tracker on our Web site that would track our progress throughout the entire year so at the end of it students can hold us accountable. Q: How will the University’s current financial status affect your goals?
A: The financial status of the University threads itself through all of our goals. We want students to be a part of a solution instead of just lobbying for change. Q: What strategies do you plan to use to pursue your goals?
A: We plan to take a more real and direct approach. We want to do this by putting our faces to our platform and going out to talk to students.
We also would like to have continuous evaluation of our budget and policy department, which will be done by hiring teams of students who would like to do these things professionally when they graduate.
We want to involve as many students as possible since this is their government.
Athena Salman Year and major:
Junior, economics and political science Running mates/vice presidents:
Josh Jordan (policy) and Natalie Fleming (services) Platform includes:
Creating a system to show students exactly how their money is spent by USG; providing space for student organizations to meet; establishing a women’s resource center; and fighting tuition and fees increases through ASU and the State Legislature. Q: Why are you running for office? A: We believe that students deserve leaders they can trust to advocate for affordable tuition and no fees, as students cannot bear this economic crisis alone.
Q: What experience qualifies you for the position?
A: As a senior fellow for the Arizona Students’ Association, I headed [state] legislation on new financial aid introduced in the House of Representatives and gained support for the articulation bill that passed unanimously in the Senate. I served as a USG senator for the W. P. Carey School of Business, chairing the Finance Committee, and am a member of Omega Phi Alpha sorority, serving as Panhellenic Delegate in the 2008-2009 school year.
Q: What do you think is the most important issue of the election?
A: Tuition affordability and integrity — students have witnessed the $1,000-plus surcharge fee become permanent and nontransparent. This is wrong and we will always fight for affordability and transparency. Q: What is the No. 1 change you would like to see on campus? Why and how will you accomplish this?
A: We want to see more campus space driven by students. I am dedicated to establishing resource centers and will start progress on getting organizations their own campus space. I will appoint students on relevant boards, submit proposals and pressure the administration to realize these spaces. Q: How will the University’s current financial status affect your goals?
A: Whenever the state cuts funding, tuition increases astronomically. During my tenure as president, I am prepared to have a constant presence at the Capitol alongside students to make sure we are putting pressure on the Legislature in order to hold it accountable for its actions and preserve the University’s funding.
Q: What strategies do you plan to use to pursue your goals?
A: Student spaces: I am prepared to get students to town hall meetings; to engage ASU administration; to invite student representatives, including USG senators, to key stakeholder meetings; and to utilize professional staff students already have access to.
Tuition affordability and integrity: with a campaign centered around the Legislature during midterm elections, maintaining pressure in the spring legislative session, and properly organizing students to saturate all channels of communication during the Arizona Board of Regents tuition setting, I will make sure that institutions at all levels of government hear one united Sun Devil voice.
