Academic Senate candidate features
Arts Senator
Sami Manchester is a sophomore majoring in art education.
Manchester has always been impressed with the Caine College of the Arts, but feels like many people don’t know much about it or activities that are happening through the college. She wants to raise awareness of what the college has to offer and get more students involved in all events.
“I just want to physically stay involved at the college and get to know students there and talk to them face-to-face,” Manchester said. “I never knew who to talk to about things, and so I just want to be really available.”
When it comes to activities, she wants to plan monthly, smaller events besides the well-known Arts Week that are well-advertised and run by students.
“I want to increase the collaboration between the Caine College of the Arts and other colleges at Utah State, because I feel like there’s kind of this disconnect and I feel like it’s a lack of advertising in this college,” Manchester said. “But I really want to work with other departments and see how we can incorporate the arts into everything, because that’s really what it’s about: art’s a part of everything in life.”
Manchester wants to talk to a lot of people in college of the arts about voting and give them a face to put to her name as elections happen. She doesn’t want it to feel like it’s somebody who is too high up for students to talk to, but that people can talk to her about anything, even in class.
“I want students to recognize that I’m a student like them. I want to always keep their ideas and their concerns in mind,” she said. “I don’t want this position to be about me… I’m really just a mouthpiece for them.”
Manchester loves her college, but also loves Utah State overall.
“I just love the sense of unity at the school and I want to continue that, through collaboration,” she said. “I just love that everyone is excited about the same things, the same activities. We have a good mix of backgrounds. It’s a really fun environment.”
College of Business Senator
Jason Dahlin is a junior majoring in finance and international business. He loves playing volleyball and played for USU until a recent shoulder injury has kept him off the court. Dahlin also enjoys water sports and is a huge Broncos fan.
His favorite part about Utah State is how easy it is to get involved.
“Utah State does a great job of providing leadership opportunities and other things that we can get involved, better ourselves and apply what we learned inside the classroom outside the classroom,” Dahlin said.
He serves as an active volunteer at the Student Traditions, Activities and Arts (STAB) office and is involved in several business school clubs, including the entrepreneurship club. Dahlin also served as VP of Marketing on the Huntsman Business Council. He also served as Sigma Phi Epsilon VP of Recruitment.
One of Dahlin’s goals is to establish a peer-to-peer mentor program for business students. When students are planning out their academic path through college, Dahlin wants them to have the opportunity to talk to other students who have taken the same path.
“I want there to be a way for new students to talk to peers,” Dahlin said.
Dahlin also wants to focus on developing specific departmental career paths in conjunction with peer-to-peer mentoring. General department help can only take students so far, he said, and he wants to help with specific career road maps for students.
Another goal is to use new channels of marketing to reach students and keep them informed. Dahlin would like to set up an information booth at the business college, a place where students could go with questions about upcoming events.
“I think the best part will be being able to influence others and help them with a better career and a better future,” he said.
Dahlin also wants business students to have the differential experience they deserve because of the differential tuition rates.
“We’re here for you,” he said. “The things we’re going to do is for you guys.”
Nadir Tekarli is a junior double-majoring in accounting and economics.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity, with new things happening with the school — we have the new building opening up soon — I thought it was a good time to try to make a difference in the school,” Tekarli said. “I’ve talked to Dean Patel, and he’s got some great plans. It’s going to be a big year this next year… I’d love to go in and help him out and do some great things at the school this year.”
With the new building there will be a lot more resources available to students in the school, and Dean Dave Patel is hoping to use the building for more career events and networking for students, Tekarli said.
“It’s going to kind of bring a new energy, too. We’ve watched that building be built over there forever,” he said. “It’s going to have the energy, in my view, of when I first got to college. Everything’s new. I’m going into my senior year, but I’m as excited for this next year as I was my first. There’s a lot of new and things are being added to the school.”
Tekarli has three main goals if he gets in office: to oversee the spending of differential tuition in the college, to help Dean Patel with career development in the college and to continue the work of the current business senator to make sure different clubs, Huntsman scholars and business ambassadors are all working together.
He wants to assemble a committee to oversee where the differential tuition is spent to make sure “we’ve putting it where it has the most value,” he said.
With his second plan, he wants to make sure there are good companies being brought in to interview and work with students in career development, and wants to create testimonial videos from people who’ve been in certain clubs in the college and been involved with career development to reach success.
Tekarli wants to make campaigning fun, and to help get rid of the winter blues as people walk around campus and also hopes to encourage students to learn what other candidates are running on, and to help people see that it does matter who is elected, he said.
Tekarli loves being an Aggie, and loves Logan year-round.
“I think it’s about being in Logan. I think a big part of the Aggie experience is being in Logan, being close to so many different things, a lot of great people here at Utah State,” Tekarli said. “It’s about ‘Hey let’s go to this, let’s go do that. And then we all just go to McDonald’s, cause that’s what you do. It’s a really social culture…I think it’s the Logan atmosphere that makes the experience.”
CHaSS Senator
Jason Jerman is a sophomore majoring in German with a teaching emphasis. His goals for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is about smaller changes to help students, versus anything too big that may disorient students in the college.
“I feel like a lot of times students come in and want to make these huge changes, but for me I think it’s important to build off what has already been set, what has already been established, to make those things better,” Jerman said.
He hopes to influence students to become more involved, and to help them get the most out of their experience in the college.
In regards to students’ involvement in voting, Jerman hopes to use social media as a major way to inform and reach out to the student body.
“I think social media has really become a big thing, where everyone is on it every single day, on their ones, so I think that is one major way — if we use that — to let people know that elections are going on and help them to understand the importance of voting, and also to understand what they are voting for. Social media is a big factor of helping people vote,” Jerman said.
What he wants overall, in running as CHaSS senator is to be able to make a difference and show that he knows what it is like to be a student at USU.
“I want to make a difference in the students’ lives,” Jerman said. “Being a student myself, I know what college life is and I think having this position will help me get more students involved and to help them have a better experience here at USU.”
Jerman loves the university and being an Aggie, and wants others to have that.
“I love the closeness I feel of the whole university, with faculty, with other students, with activities,” Jerman said. “I feel that we are very united together in both education and extra-curricular activities. There are people who know how to make this a successful university. I really enjoy that about being an Aggie.
Jacie Rex is a junior majoring in history. She has served on the CHaSS council and as an ambassador of the college for the past year, as well as being a peer advisor for the CHaSS office.
“I’m running for this position because I really love the college of humanities,” Rex said, “and I just really think that I can give back to the college, as well.”
She hopes to be able to continue to build on events for the events, especially during CHaSS week, and to make sure they are more well-known. She also wants to continue to do activities like Breakfast with the Dean, as well as working on building relationships between professors and students by having a breakfast with students and professors together, she said, to take out the intimidating classroom feeling for students and their professors.
“I really want to be a voice for the students, to be a voice to the dean for the students, in order to clearly represent both of them, as well as be open and transparent,” Rex said. “I want to listen to students and what their ideas are, and in order to do that, I want to build a diverse and different CHaSS council… to bring those in and make this college better.”
She also wants to continue improving CHaSS week with fun and involving activities, like movie nights.
“It’s about getting people comfortable, bringing departments together,” Rex said. “There are a lot of people who don’t even know they’re even in CHaSS, and I want to inform people and make them feel comfortable in the college.”
Social media is the tool Rex believes can help most in informing students about voting and what they are voting for,
“I think social media shows people what’s going on. They can click on people’s platforms and learn about what’s going on,” Rex said. “It’s about being visible… I plan to be out… and talking to students and getting them informed. I think it’s on a personal level, you need to make people realize this is what they’re paying for, they have the chance and opportunity to vote for what they want to vote for.”
Rex’s favorite thing about being an Aggie is the Scotsman because “it’s our spirit in a song, what more can you want? I just love it, it’s one of my favorite parts of how it brings us together,” she said.
College of Education and Human Services Senator
Teigan Beck is a junior majoring in communicative disorders with an emphasis on speech language pathology. She loves being very involved, and her hobbies include rock climbing, reading books and biking.
Beck is currently a resident assistant on campus, as well as a Student Alumni Association volunteer. She also serves as part of the Serving Learning Scholars, a program that encourages students to graduate with 400 hours of volunteered service.
Coming to Utah State is a family tradition for her family, as many of her family members have attended USU. She also appreciates the time and effort professors invest in students.
“I love Utah State,” Beck said. “I love meeting new people and getting to know them.”
Support, Strengthen and Serve is Beck’s campaign motto, and she hopes to use those three qualities to help the College of Education grow.
“I want to be ready to support, strengthen and serve in whatever happens next year,” she said.
Beck wants to redefine what it means to be in the College of Education and find a way to impact all the different majors at the college.
“This is our community at Utah State, let’s go and vote so we can have a great next year together,” she said.
Matthew Soelberg is a senior majoring in human movements with an emphasis on exercise science. He loves sports and enjoys hanging out with friends. One of his dreams is to go on to chiropractic school.
In his family, it’s almost tradition to attend Utah State. According to Soelberg, many of his family members have graduated from USU, including siblings, parents and grandparents.
“It’s been a family school for me,” he said.
Soelberg said when he first came to Utah State, he was unaware of the many opportunities the College of Education and Human Services offered. Now he wants to increase communication between students and the college.
“I want to help the incoming freshmen that are part of our college,” Soelberg said. “I want to help students succeed.”
Soelberg said another campaign focus is to have an impactful Education Week next semester. He wants to use the week as an important tool to get word out about the College of Education.
He recognizes that change takes time, but he’s up for the challenge. Soelberg is eager to work with the faculty and progress in his goals.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to run and I’m excited for it,” Soelberg said.
Engineering Senator
Olivia Binks is a junior majoring in environmental engineering. She is running in hopes of increasing diversity and unity amongst students in the College of Engineering.
“I feel like I have the experience and connections I need to do a good job being a representative,” she said. “Besides diversity, I want to support unity, increase interactions between clubs.”
Binks also hopes to increase sustainability efforts within the college, and collaborating with the sustainability office and incorporating senior design projects so that more people in the college are working together toward similar goals. She also wants to get Blue Goes Green grants to help in all of these combined efforts between groups in the college.
She also wants to continue the college’s academic resources, and to “compile a place for students to go to learn more about research internship, career opportunities and academic resources so it’s more available and accessible to students,” Binks said. “I want to extend the class-drop deadline and I want to put a stapler on the first floor of the engineering building.”
Binks plans to put the things she wants to achieve and her platform items for the college on posters and everywhere during campaigning, for students to be as informed about her stance and goals as possible.
“I encourage students to read through all of the students’ platforms because that actually matters,” Binks said. “I encourage them to take the time to vote. It will actually make a difference to elect someone they want to represent them.”
If students would vote for the students in their own colleges, it would take maybe three minutes to read through each platform, instead of just looking at candidate’s pictures to make decisions, she said.
Binks’ favorite thing about being an Aggie is the feel of the campus, and all of the events and opportunities USU has to offer students.
“There’s always stuff going on, the students are always friendly,” she said,” and I love the location.”
Matt Clegg is a junior majoring in biological engineering. His biggest reason for running is for students in the College of Engineering to have someone to approach with questions or concerns in the college.
“When I (transferred) here I felt I couldn’t turn to anyone to talk to about my anxiety with the change… I feel like I can facilitate a change and help to help students that are feeling similar to me,” Clegg said.
The first thing he would like to do as senator would be creating a mentorship program for upperclassmen to mentor lowerclassmen, and to communicate how they’ve succeeded, he said.
Clegg would also like to create more access to faculty and staff, for students to communicate with and interact with professors and to interact with professionals more effectively in the college, he said.
He wants to help students see that their vote makes a difference in their collegiate education experience.
“I don’t think a lot of students realize that student government can make a change, and so if they see a familiar face that is running, then I think they’ll be more likely to vote,” Clegg said. “The biggest thing is making them realize that when they fill out an IDEA evaluation, that that can actually facilitate a change. Instead of just sending that to someone, then they can be like ‘The person that I vote in, they have this and this that I want, and that will actually help me to change and improve my education.’”
He wants students in his college to see what he is running for, and to make his campaign memorable, so students have a desire to vote and enact change, he said.
Clegg’s favorite thing about being an Aggie is the social aspect.
“It’s easy to make friends here; it’s easy to feel welcome,” Clegg said. “And I want to create more of that feeling in the college of engineering independently… I want the perception of the college of engineering to change a little bit, that it’s fun and outgoing. I want to create an atmosphere where students can be prestigious, but still have fun and have an enjoyable college experience.”
Jaque Johansen is a junior majoring in electrical engineering. He wants to be in this position to be able to help his fellow students in the College of Engineering to get the jobs they want in the future.
“Personally I’m dreaming of working for Disney — I think that’d be awesome,” Johansen said. “So I kind of want to help others accomplish their goals and dreams as well.”
Johansen would want to continue working on what the current senator is doing for the college, including increasing the number of job tours students go on.
“Something else I want to do is implement a battle of the colleges, between the college of science and the college of engineering,” Johansen said. “That’s something we’ve kind of already started communications with the college of science council, but it’s something we want to put into action next year.”
Something else Johansen is hoping to do is help students looking for research opportunities on campus. This includes possibly adding a page to the college’s website for professors to explain the research they are doing, so students can contact them and become involved, he said.
Johansen’s last plan is to try to improve some of the facilities in the college, including some updates to bathrooms and additional power strips in areas where students study on the third floor.
Johansen understands that many people don’t feel that their one vote can make a difference in elections, but he believes to improve voting “the best thing I feel I can do is get out and talk to friends, people I know and people I’m not quite acquainted with and just invite them,” he said. “That’s really all we can do, is inform them and tell them that their voice can be heard.”
His favorite thing about being an Aggie is the atmosphere at USU, and that “it’s very easy to make friends up here.”
College of Science Senator
Kort Guillette is a sophomore majoring in chemistry. He was originally majoring in zoology to cover all the prerequisites for medical school, which he plans on applying for. But he didn’t find any interest in the biology aspect of zoology and thus changed majors to chemistry.
Guillette enjoys skiing and anything outdoors, from mountain biking to longboarding. He has always been interested in public policy and being involved in the community.
“It’s something I’ve always been drawn to,” Guillette said. “I like to be able to help people, to represent others and be their voice.”
His goals include making the College of Science a better environment for students so they can have better education, financial and employment opportunities at Utah State.
“I want to help people really enjoy their college experience,” he said. “I want to help make school suck less.”
Guillette wants to bring in more prospective employees to talk with students, as well as provide more scholarships and financial aid within the College of Science.
“As you serve people, you learn a lot about yourself and you learn a lot about them,” he said. “As you serve other people, you really come to find out the things that are important to them, and those things become important to you. You grow a sense of responsibility for those people.”
Providing students with more information about internships and events on campus is another goal. Guillette wants to listen to the input of students to help the College of Science improve.
“There’s no reason that anyone should come here and feel like they’ve wasted time and money,” Guillette said. “This should be the most fun, most education, the best four years of your schooling.”
Natural Resources Senator
Molly Engelenhoven is a junior double-majoring in environmental studies and political science.
She is running because “I love the College of Natural Resources, and the community that we have there,” Engelenhoven said. “It’s very unique because it’s a very small college, it’s only about 300 people, it’s such an interesting dynamic.”
Engelenhoven feels she has been included and involved in the community and wants to give other students the chance for the same thing.
Something she would like to do that would affect all of USU would be to reduce the waste on campus through efforts in her college and council.
“I don’t know if making USU a zero-waste school is totally attainable, but I know we could lower it,” she said. President Stan Albrecht made a goal for USU to become carbon-neutral by 2050, and Engelenhoven hopes to reinstitute that and make it a goal with the new president to start things in motion again.
She also hopes to continue planning fun events for the college and Natural Resource Week, including the Logger’s Ball.
Though Engelenhoven is running unopposed, she wants to work on getting students involved in voting for all positions and changes. Those in her college are big proponents of sustainability and want to vote in those to executive council who can make the biggest difference in sustainability efforts and policies, she said.
She also simply loves Utah State and what the school has to offer.
“I’m constantly overwhelmed by all of the random opportunities I get when I come here,” Engelenhoven said. “I wish I could be here long to do all the things I want to do, because there’s so much and it’s so amazing.”
— ashley.ruth.stilson@aggiemail.usu.edu
— mandy.m.morgan@aggiemail.usu.edu