Get to know the candidates: HASS SENATOR
TROY LEHI BOVO
Troy Lehi Bovo is a finalist for ASUSU College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences senator.
* Why should students care about ASUSU?
ASUSU represents student needs, Bovo said.
“Lots of students are undeclared and need to meet with a counselor,” he said.
The high dropout rate in the college would improve if more students could meet with counselors, he said.
* What research have you done for your platform?
Bovo said he asked professors and the secretary’s office for advice.
“They all said the same thing,” he said. “Advising.”
* How do your platform and qualifications relate to your position? What authority do you have?
“I’ve dealt with a lot of people,” Bovo said.
He said he organizes intramurals for his fraternity, which has taught him how to organize activities.
* How will your experience training guide dogs benefit the College of HASS? Being an EMT? A licensed paragliding pilot?
Bovo said he experiences new things, which is what social science is all about.
“Being an EMT deals with emergency situations, which would help me deal with emergency advising situations,” he said.
* What steps will you take to improve the student/advising relationship?
Bovo said he is not sure what the College of HASS’s budget is, but he hopes more faculty could be brought on. One professor could have an open-door policy, or other colleges could help with undeclared students, he said.
“Maybe an engineering professor who doesn’t have as much to do could help advise,” he said.
* Where do you anticipate the money you plan to direct to the art department will come from? Why does the art department, as opposed to other departments within the College of HASS deserve more funding?
Bovo said everyone deserves more funding, but the art department’s art work benefits the whole campus.
“I don’t know what they’re spending money on that could be cut, but priority would be the art department,” Bovo said.
He suggested funds could be taken from parking.
–katrich@cc.usu.edu
GABRIEL WHITE
Gabriel White, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences candidate, says he will represent student interests whether or not they agree with administrative agendas.
* Why should students care about ASUSU?
“Sometimes students shouldn’t care about ASUSU,” White said.
When officers are puppets of the administration, they’re not doing their jobs, he said. When officers do what they’re supposed to, ASUSU can help students make contacts, and keep programs running and tuition low, he said.
* What research have you done for your platform?
White said he talked to students and looked at HASS Web pages to determine which programs are successful and which are floundering.
* How do your platform and qualifications relate to the position you are running for?
White said his experience working with political leaders and student groups has taught him organization, leadership and understanding of student needs.
* How will you increase the number of scholarships available for students in the College of HASS?
By increasing university contacts with the corporate world, White said he hopes he can find professionals and corporations willing to provide students who they may later like to hire with scholarships.
He said he doesn’t yet know how much control ASUSU has over university scholarship funds.
* How do you plan to give students a voice in the administration of HASS?
“I want to find out what students want done and represent their interests,” White said.
He said he will talk to students on campus and take surveys to determine student needs.
* What will you do to increase the number of advisers available for students?
White said he will push for more funding to expand the time advisers are available and create peer advising programs in all departments.
“Sometimes undeclared students fall through the cracks,” he said, adding that he feels talking to peer advisers would help freshmen choose a major and increase student retention.
* What additional internships do you plan to make available to HASS students?
“Some departments have good internship programs,” White said. “But other departments don’t have programs, or their programs are weak.”
He said he wants to hire a new faculty member to coordinate the different programs and use the successful programs to help the ones that are struggling.
–katrich@cc.usu.edu