Undergraduate Student Government West Senate and executive candidates commenced their campaigns for the USG 2020 election on March 30.
There are two tickets running for the executive office and students from eight schools that make up the USGW Senate.
The executive tickets
Natalie Carranza is running for president of the first ticket with Jamario Gary for vice president of services and Elizabeth Chilton for vice president of policy.
Gary and Chilton both serve as senators for the W. P. Carey School of Business.
If elected, Carranza, a junior studying biology, hopes to bring her structure and leadership as president of the Programming and Activities Board to USGW.
"I wanted to expand that and bring it to USG so they can see a new perspective on leadership," Carranza said.
Chilton said the ticket wants to implement Carranza's experience as president of PAB to strengthen USG's partnership with clubs and organizations.
"We want to bring that to USG, where we're working with other (organizations) to become more of an open group," Chilton, a freshman studying business administration, said.
Chilton, Carranza and Gary's other plans include hosting more events, increasing student engagement and changing the dynamic of USG.
"We don't want it to feel like you aren't respected in your position (in USG)," Chilton said. "We want everyone to feel like they're included, important and that everything matters to the integrity of our group."
The second ticket has Navid Premji running for president, Kara Glaser for vice president of services and Judah Doyen for vice president of policy.
The ticket's platform focuses on dining services and the Tempe to West Express shuttle. If president, Premji believes USGW could help with student feedback about the Residence Hall Association.
"A lot of people complain about our dining services," said Premji, a freshman studying supply chain management. "There's just things of that nature that USG could push some policies on."
The issue most important to Premji, Glaser and Doyen, however, is student engagement.
Premji, a W. P. Carey senator, wants to give the student body a bigger role in USG by relying on their ideas to create a more inclusive campus.
"There's one president, but there are many voices," Premji said. "At the end of the day (the students are) the ones who voted me in, and they're the ones who should get their voice out there."
If elected, Glaser wants to use this opportunity to bridge the gap between students and USG.
"We want to bring everybody together and make sure the students at West know of everything USG has to offer," said Glaser, a freshman studying forensic psychology. "And make sure that every student has the opportunity to be involved on campus."
Senators
Jessica-Lynn Pagliuca is the only candidate running for the Barrett, the Honors College seat.
Ashley Peña is the only candidate running for the College of Health Solutions.
There are four seats in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. The candidates running are Bethany Rocha, Keely Nunez, Michelle Gradillas and Tajyanna Hall.
Michaela Jacobs is the only candidate running for the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and Zoe Baab is the only candidate running for the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
There are no candidates running for the one seat allotted for the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, and either of the two seats for W. P. Carey.
Voting will be held virtually on the ASU elections website from April 14-15.
Reach the reporter at ekgalin1@asu.edu and follow @eringalindo29 on Twitter.
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