ASUSU leaders revisit platforms
ERIK MIKKELSEN
ASUSU president
Platform: Continue the positive things that are currently being done and revitalize ASUSU.
“We’ve kind of looked at what ASUSU has done in the past, and we wanted to make sure that things are the most efficient that they can possibly be. We’ve looked at the budget, we’ve reallocated a lot of different funds to make it more efficient and better off for the students.
“You’ll see some constitutional changes coming up in the end of the February vote … we’re going to be eliminating one of those positions on ASUSU as well as (execute) a full (restructuring) of the Graduate Student Senate. That will really help us use our funds wisely and revitalize the operations in ASUSU.”
Kirsten Frank
Executive vice president
Platform: To act as a dedicated voice of the USU student body in relevant governmental affairs. “That’s kind of an impending goal right now. I think, frankly, just in my life, anytime I talk to a politician, or anything like that, I make sure to make an Aggie joke or ask them when they’re coming up for Aggie Ice Cream, or something like that. But I think the way we are going to accomplish that idea the most is through Aggie Ice Cream Day. It’s a tradition that was started on Capitol Hill a few years back.
“So, on Feb. 22, this year, we are going down … and we are bringing over 600 tubs of Aggie Ice Cream to the Hill.”
Jason Russell
Student Advocate vice president
Platform: Increase awareness of the Student Advocate and strengthen participation of the Ombudsman Program.
“We passed out 968 free (Chick-fil-A) sandwiches throughout the day on Day on the Quad. (Students) couldn’t just get one, they had to meet me and shake my hand.”
Take full advantage of the Student Voice Committee.
“I restructured the entire committee. In the past the Student Voice Committee consisted of the senators appointing people to be on the committee … I made applications and passed them out on Day on the Quad … We had a ton of applications come in.”
RYAN BAYLIS
Athletics vice president
Platform: Establish a collective website for all USU Club Sports.
“It’s already been done. We worked on integrating a score ticker that teams can use to pull up their scores, so people can know more about how club sports are doing.”
Get the decibel meter in the Spectrum working.
“We didn’t get that done exactly. We found out that the infrastructure that runs it isn’t up there anymore. We could fake (the decibel meter), but we wanted it to be real. In the future we could have someone to do it, but for the time being, it is kind of a dead thought.”
Maddie Busteed
Service vice president
Platform: Raise awareness of the Val R. Christensen Service Center.
“I developed a volunteer tracking system. Through creating that, I met my main goal of raising awareness of the service center. It’s in its first week of being a system, but, through that, it will create more knowledge and awareness of the service center.”
Work and communicate with other university organizations to unite efforts to serve.
“When I made this goal, I thought I would plan service projects and do all sorts of stuff, but it’s not really like that, because we don’t have unlimited funding to pay for service projects. It’s more been support.”
Cami Jones
Graduate Studies vice president
Platform: Get the graduate students better represented throughout campus. “We passed a bill basically restrucuring the GSS. There are no longer senators. There was double representation between GSS and Academic Senate.
“In the past they talked about disbanding the GSS, but this way we are not completely eliminating it. There will at least be a graduate senator on the Academic Senate and two representatives under the senator.
“It wasn’t as if I wasn’t accomplishing my goals, but it changes the goal. It was out of my control, but at least keeping the students represented and keeping the funding was most important.”
ZACH LARSEN
Programming vice president
Platform: Enrich the USU experience for all students in extracurricular activities.
“I think one of the biggest things that I have done is create a team of people that are willing to work for that same platform that I have. So, it was my responsibility to hire three directors — the Activities director, the Traditions director and the Arts and Lectures director. By making sure that they were working together, (I) made sure that the events that we’re doing are successful, diverse and inclusive for all people. You know, everyone could come, from married couples to people who are single and want to bring a date to people who are just coming to have a good time.”
Tanner Wright
Academic Senate president
Platform: Create a more student-friendly environment amongst the senate.
“It all goes on with that more inviting atmosphere for the students to be able to come and talk to their senators. I’ve made an effort to talk to different students about different issues about what they want.
“So, I think by having those different activities — getting students involved … and knowing that they have a senator — they can make a difference, as well as (by) having a senate council training so that the councils are more prepared to take on those issues and to do things on their own.”
BROOKE EVANS
Diversity vice president
Platform: Help students take ownership of their college experience and make USU their home away from home.
“We’ve required that every club has an adviser, and that really helps, because then there’s another person tying it together.
“We’ve really focused this year … just by making sure that the quality clubs that are in existence right now … that those clubs will keep going.
Just making (involvement) accessible, or trying to make sure our club presidents are prepared and (are) good leaders — to get more people involved, and so that people in (those) clubs can have good experiences and to just feel more comfortable on campus.