2024-25 USUSA Executive Vice President candidates
Christina Behling:
What year are you in school? What are you studying? Where are you from?
I will be in school till probably 2026. Nursing? I’m doing my prerequisites right now. But I’m going to go on into the LPN program and the RN program, so that’s why I’ll be at school for a little bit. I am originally from Dallas, Texas. Came here on a Greyhound bus from Dallas, Texas, and didn’t know anything about Moab — all I knew there was a cute boy here. And so I just got on that Greyhound bus and moved here, and I’ve been here probably 20 years now.
At what point during your college career did you first feel like you were truly an Aggie?
I feel like I’m just starting this semester to really feel like an Aggie, like because this was the semester that I was like, ‘OK, I’m committing to the school.’ You know, like, committing my heart and soul into the school.
Why do you feel it is important to include and support students across USU statewide campuses?
Because we can learn from each other. I feel like we’re all going through like similar experiences of stress, with, you know, just like our work or life, school balances. And I think we can all like, learn from each other, not just stay in our own little bubble of our campus. And I’ve already met many wonderful people on other campuses, and they’ve helped me immensely on my journey. And so I think it’s just — we’re all resources that need to be tapped in from each other and use in a positive way to build each other up.
How would you handle disagreements with other USUSA officers and how would you handle making difficult decisions that may go against the other officers?
I think it’s just really important to just listen, listen. We live in a world where we don’t listen, we argue, and we say our views louder and louder than the other person. And I think trying to listen and figure out where they’re coming from, and then trying to suggest if there, if I think there’s maybe a better course we can follow, suggesting it and then yeah, and just kind of trying to work together. Remember, we’re all on the same team, and we all have the same common goal of trying to, you know, be happy and healthy in our journey of being students.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to be involved at USU?
If I am not elected, I still just kind of love everybody there. I love — I don’t think anything will change. I’ll just keep on, you know, bonding with everyone there. And there’s like I said, there’s just a, just a lot of great resources in the staff — the faculty see the students there. And I’ll just keep on supporting them however I can and learning from them.
If you were an Aggie Ice Cream flavor, what flavor would you be and why?
I am rocky road. Because I did. It was a very rocky road to get to Moab, and then my rocky road to even decide to go down this path of nursing. But I know in the end, it’s going to be super delicious. And you know, I’ll be I think it’ll just be very satisfactory in the end like rocky road ice cream is to me.
Brooklyn Ward:
What year are you in school? What are you studying? Where are you from?
I’m currently a junior here at Utah State, and I’m studying dietetics. I’m from Lehi, Utah, so just hour and a half south of here.
At what point during your college career did you first feel like you were truly an Aggie?
I actually started out as an Eagle. I don’t know if everyone knows this, but I went to the Price campus of Utah State and was there for two years. I was able to be on the dance team down there, which was awesome, and I also got involved with USUSA down there and served as the Eastern student advocate. Down there, I was able to really get involved and learn what it meant to be and have a college experience, but to be an Aggie — when I got up here and felt that community spirit and the real family that is up here with support and through community that we have created through traditions and through just general school spirit — that’s when I found out what it truly meant to be an Aggie.
Why do you feel it is important to include and support students across USU statewide campuses?
It is so important to include our students across the statewide campuses. Having been a Utah State statewide student, I have felt the outreach that has come from the main campus and that this statewide system has provided for people’s lives who wouldn’t normally be able to go to college traditionally without our statewide system. And I think that everything that our statewide system has provided has been able to reach people and has given them the opportunity to be an Aggie and to pursue that education, because they have such amazing and inspiring goals that Utah State can truly help them achieve.
How would you handle disagreements with other USUSA officers and how would you handle making difficult decisions that may go against the other officers?
How I would like to handle disagreements or challenges that come up as a USUSA officer with other officers, that all have a growth goal in mind — I think to utilize that basis of growth and that we all are coming from a place of wanting to improve and wanting to have that strength and that building upon each other, and I think that when we all acknowledge that everyone wants to grow and improve, that’s when real growth can change things and can improve things. But I also think that being able to keep things professional, keep things so respectful, because we all have something to bring to the table, and I think if we acknowledge that, we’re able to get to the root of an issue, a disagreement, of anything, more productively than if it were to come to more personal things or things that don’t really relate to what we’re looking at, at hand.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to be involved at USU?
I have always loved to be involved, and I think honestly, if I weren’t elected, I would love to continue. Currently, I’m on the traditions committee, and I have just loved being involved with events. Events are so much fun, and I think that that has been such a great opportunity for me to meet so many people and to just create lifelong memories for students and with students. I’ve been able to obviously be right there with them, which is awesome. But I, having been a USUSA officer on a statewide campus and then having been on an events committee up here, I think I’ve gotten to be a part of two different experiences but amazing experiences, and I really wouldn’t trade that, so I’d love to be still involved with events. I’m also on the dance company up here at Utah State. And I love involvement, and it’s something that I’ll cherish, and I think everyone should get involved.
If you were an Aggie Ice Cream flavor, what flavor would you be and why?
If I was an Aggie Ice Cream flavor, oh, I don’t know. No, I do know. I do know. I love the Aggie Joy, for a couple of reasons. I think this applies to me very well. Honestly, all my life, my mom has always told me, she’s like, ‘You are the smiliest and like, most bubbly person ever.’ So Aggie Joy for one reason, but I love coconut. I love dark chocolate. I think that’s like a nice pairing that’s like subtle but also like classic, and I love being classy. I love doing things that are, I don’t know, a little elevated. I’m very — I love getting ready, I love getting fancy and yeah, Aggie Joy, for sure. And I think it’s one people sometimes underestimate, but don’t underestimate me.
Cade Neuberger:
What year are you in school? What are you studying? Where are you from?
I’m a junior here at Utah State University. I’m currently studying business management, and I’m running for the position of executive vice president. I grew up in South Carolina, and I graduated from high school in Alabama.
At what point during your college career did you first feel like you were truly an Aggie?
I felt like I was an Aggie when I first went to a football game, how unified everyone was at the football game. And then also, that first week of classes, I felt like I was an Aggie. I remember asking someone directions to one of my classes, and they were immediately able to help me, and it just felt like, you know, everyone on campus was friends.
Why do you feel it is important to include and support students across USU statewide campuses?
I feel like inclusion and our statewide campuses are a big part of Utah State University because obviously we’re not all here in Logan, and having that sense of belonging and that your voice is being heard is important to everyone.
How would you handle disagreements with other USUSA officers and how would you handle making difficult decisions that may go against the other officers?
I think first and foremost, it’s important for everyone’s opinion to be heard. You know, I don’t think you can understand fully what someone is saying unless you first hear their side, so I always seek to understand other people.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to be involved at USU?
I love being involved at Utah State. I’m currently part of the activities committee for USUSA and I’ve — in the past, I’ve been part of the Student Alumni Association, other clubs, so I love being involved. If I’m not elected, I’ll still be involved, and I’m still going to support those who are elected.
If you were an Aggie Ice Cream flavor, what flavor would you be and why?
If I was an Aggie ice cream flavor, I’d probably be That Blue One. Because it just tastes like Froot Loops.
Colin Hastings:
What year are you in school? What are you studying? Where are you from?
I’m a political science major from the humanities and social sciences college. I am a sophomore, and I’m from — born and raised — Logan, Utah.
At what point during your college career did you first feel like you were truly an Aggie?
I think it was my very first week of coming to USU, I was friends with the current humanities and social sciences senator, and that very first week he asked me to be on the humanities and social sciences council. What I loved about that was I was now — I felt like a much bigger part of the university, like I was able to give back more, like I was able to do more for the students, and that brought me a lot closer, both with them and the university as a whole.
Why do you feel it is important to include and support students across USU statewide campuses?
So we have about — it ranges between 13,000 and 18,000 students on Logan campus. That’s a decent majority, but it’s not the vast majority of students that go to USU. We also have around 10,000 students that go either online or to our various statewide campuses. I had the opportunity this summer to visit every single statewide campus, from Price to Blanding to Moab, all these, and everywhere we went, there was this major disconnect between the students and the university. They went to USU, but they weren’t Aggies — or Eagles, if you’re from Price — and that’s really disheartening to see because I love being an Aggie so much. I know everyone else I know loves being an Aggie so much. To see that disconnect between us and the university was really sad, and it’s something that I want to try to fix in my time as executive vice president, which is a statewide position.
How would you handle disagreements with other USUSA officers and how would you handle making difficult decisions that may go against the other officers?
As a current USUSA officer, I have had my differences with a lot of them already. And it kind of just goes back to knowing everyone’s why, knowing why everyone is in the positions they are in and why they’re doing what they do. Once you know that and you’re kind of on the same level — because at the end of the day, most of us who are in student government care about students, and we’re trying to help students. Once you understand that, you have that in common with the other officer who may have a disagreement. You’re able to build on that and figure out with them, ‘Hey, I don’t like this for students,’ or ‘I don’t like this for this students,’ or ‘I really like this for students’ and kind of build off that without getting mad at each other because you both realize you’re just trying to do what’s best for the students of the university.
As executive vice president, I’d be chair of the student fee board. No one likes raising student fees. We don’t want to make you pay more money. But the problem with that is, is student fees provide a ton of services for students. They’re what provide your free tickets to USU games. They’re what provides you, grant access into the ARC, into a ton of things around campus. So they’re really vital, but we don’t want to raise them. So I think the best way to handle those difficult decisions is going back to what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to represent the students, talk to the students, get their voices. That will help you get input to make that difficult decision.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to be involved at USU?
So I am in a fraternity, I am president of the Greek Honor Society here. While fraternities get a bad rap, the one I’m in and most fraternities here on campus really care about giving back to this university. So that’s one way I’ll continue to be involved in FSL, and by extension, the university. I’m also going to be helping out the next CHaSS senator, the person who will take my position next year, making sure that they have every opportunity they want, making sure that they can run things, that I can teach what I learned and help them avoid the mistakes I made so they can get immediately on the job. I will continue serving on various councils and committees that I’m already on, like the Student Alumni Association, like CHaSS Council, like just so many things. I’ll continue to be on student fee board or at least apply to be, because I very much care about student fees and helping students avoid them when they are not necessary. So I’ll continue putting forth my effort into making sure this university is a better place for the students here.
If you were an Aggie Ice Cream flavor, what flavor would you be and why?
The butterscotch flavor. It’s fantastic. I love caramel. I’m a very sweet person. I feel I have a major sweet tooth, and it’s the sweetest one, so I love that. I’m also obsessed with “Harry Potter” and Butterbeer, and that kind of helps me get my fantasy kick in. I’m also really blonde, and my hair is curly and twirly and ripple-y, so probably butterscotch ripple.
Interviews conducted by: Caitlin Keith, Aubrey Holdaway and Maren Archibald