ASUSU candidates work with students living on campus
In efforts to familiarize students with this year’s ASUSU candidates, the Residence Hall Association hosted an event during which candidates and students worked on service projects together.
Candidates and students met Wednesday in Richards Hall to write letters to U.S. soldiers in the 82nd Battalion and color children’s alphabet books.
Steve Anderson, events coordinator for the RHA, said they hosted the gathering to help students get to know ASUSU candidates on a more personal level. It gave students an opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns and desires for the future of USU, he said.
It also gave candidates a chance to work with students and really get to know them rather than knocking on doors and handing out campaign fliers, Anderson said.
“We did this in effort to get candidates to do something other than resident hall calls and also give students living on campus a better idea of who they are voting for,” Anderson said.
Around 40 students brought their concerns and demands to the seven candidates who participated. Their discussions included student activities and diversity on campus.
Zach Ames, a senior running for president, said it was a nice opportunity for candidates and students to work with one another on common projects. It was also good for potential voters to see candidates in group situations.
“People are different in group settings. When it’s not about them and they are with other people, you see who they truly are, and that can change voters’ opinions as well,” Ames said.
M.J. Tran, a junior running for campus diversity and organizations vice president, said it is good for those running for office to really listen to their constituents. She said the gathering was a more personal forum, allowing people to speak freely with one another.
Tran said she enjoyed spending time with fellow Aggies. She said she also liked the change in routine from handing out campaign flyers to just visiting.
“It’s good to see candidates working together. It’s what we needed – a break from campaigning and really seeing that we are there for each other,” Tran said. “It’s great to see all the candidates come together outside of campaigning.”
Danielle Nelson, president of RHA, said ASUSU candidates contacted them earlier in search of a more effective way to reach students living on campus. Typically, candidates campaign door-to-door in residential halls. However, Nelson said many believe residential hall calls are an invasion of privacy and have been a cause for concern in years past.
“Residents get a little annoyed with people knocking on their doors all the time handing out campaign flyers,” she said. “So we wanted to give residents an opportunity to meet candidates without them coming into their home.”
Initially the association had planned to pick up trash in central campus, but with the recent snow storms, Nelson said they had to change their plans.
She said the last minute changes played a significant role in the number of people who attended.
“I felt that for its first year, it was a success,” Nelson said. “We wish we would have had more turnout. We would have had more (students) coming and going if it had been outside.”
Wednesday’s gathering was the first of its type hosted by the RHA. Anderson said they plan on making this an annual event held during ASUSU elections. He hopes next year’s event will be much larger.
Ames complimented the association, their planning and their efforts to inform on-campus residents.
“It’s a wonderful idea,” Ames said. “It was a good effort, and it is a good starting point for other elections.”
-ariek@cc.usu.edu