Candidate Features: Executive Council
Student Body President:
Alexander Cook is a sophomore at USU, majoring in biological engineering.
“I’m passionate about my involvement at USU, so I’m a fourth generation Aggie,” Cook said, which he feels he has “a legacy that adds to his passion and contribution in making a difference and leaving something behind at Utah State.”
Cook would like to make a greater social change, specifically in continuing work on the mental health advocacy campaign at USU, and hopes to see a reduction in suicides at the university because of that.
“I’m planning on implementing an intervention strategy for, specifically, suicide prevention, that will have a lot to do with mental health, as far as helping people understand what that means for them, and addressing some of those risk factors that would lead a group or an individual to attempt suicide,” Cook said.
Other things the current USUSA president Trevor Olsen has worked on that Cook hopes to keep rolling would be 911 Cellular, as well as looking at an adaptation of depth courses at USU, to make them more applicable and useful for students’ majors.
“I would also like to centralize the student events calendar, search engine optimize it — as well as hopefully with that creat a little more synergy with the clubs, that they can work together a little more, that they can work together on initiatives they have,” Cook said.
He also hopes to work with Admissions to make a campaign to help students understand their capacity to bring in more revenue, specifically by using word-of-mouth — which is Admissions greatest tool — to bring in more students, Cook said. “Bringing more excellent students here, that will build to more revenue, which will build to better teachers, better school, better degrees, more excited about contributing after we graduate as well, continuing to make Utah State great,” he said.
Cook has made a website called makingvotingeasy.com, to help explain voting to students, who they can vote for, why they need to vote twice, why the power of voting is important and where to find information about candidates and issues.
“I would like to see this elections the most well-represented,” Cook said.
His favorite thing about being an Aggie is being able to say he loves being an Aggie with so much pride, and believing it and feeling passion for a school that represents so much, he said.
Mitch Stevens is a junior majoring in exercise science and he feels that “in this position I can best serve my fellow Aggies, I can refine the Aggie experience, I can make changes that I think are necessary and will benefit all Aggies,” he said.
Stevens hopes to implement Open Educational Resources — free online textbooks — and to incentive professors and get the word out about what that means for students and quicken the process of it being implemented at USU.
“I want to bring better restaurant onto campus. This idea has been thrown around in the past, but it’s very possible,” Stevens said. “In the TSC you have to pay rent, so we can bring in a niche restaurant to the TSC. Or to have a rotating place where the smoothie place is, so that they don’t have to pay rent but a place like Chick-fil-A or Mo’ Bettah’s will come in from 10 to 2 and then they serve a meal, and Dining Services would get a part of the profits. It would take a lot of work, but would benefit students.”
Stevens also wants to continue to help with the mental health campaign on campus, creating an Aggie support network with a weekly meeting for students to discuss mental health issues. He also hopes to better the USU app, to create a central calendar for students to be able to connect to anything they want to be involved in on campus.
“Another thing would be making the syllabus for classes being on Banner, so you can know the course content when you’re registering for a class,” Stevens said.
In regards to getting students out to participate in informed voting, Stevens plans to use his connections and people on campus to help support him and out to vote. “I feel there’s a very involved group and there’s a group of students who go to school and home and don’t really care. I would go around and help inform everyone in all their groups, and go around their homes and help them to be informed to vote,” he said. “I’m trying to have a very fun campaign so people get to know me and will enjoy what I’m doing. It’s all inspired by Rihanna and 50 Cent.”
Stevens’ favorite thing about being an Aggie are all of the opportunities Utah State has given him to be involved, and “I feel like I have a family here, and the Aggie experience has given me a ton of joy and experiences I wouldn’t have experienced anywhere else,” he said.
Ashley Waddoups is a junior majoring in English and economics. She’s passionate about politics, and her dream is to go to law school. In her free time, Waddoups enjoys reading classic books, walking her shih tzu named Chewy and spending time with her husband. On campus she currently serves as USUSA student advocate and on the Diversity Cabinet.
“I loving being a part of social causes I care about,” she said.
“Reach higher” is her current campaign theme. Waddoups plans on focusing on five main goals in the coming year.
“I feel like I’ve learned so much as student advocate that I really want to take that and apply it to this office,” she said. “I’ve got a solid platform and it can be accomplished.”
Her goals include increasing USUSA officer visibility with students on campus. To help inform students about USUSA, Waddoups plans to invite different groups of students from various clubs and campus groups to meet with the student body president twice a month for pizza and Café Rio.
“We’re of no use to people if our constituents don’t even know we exist,” she said.
Waddoups also wants to continue increasing awareness for issues like mental health and sexual assault. She wants to sponsor a free app called 911 Cellular, an app that when activated would alert police of the location of the user in trouble on or off campus.
“We’re raising awareness, but we’re also tangibly doing something to make students feel safer,” Waaddoups said. “You can’t do one without the other and be successful.”
She also wants to lobby state legislature for ongoing appropriations for salary for CAPS employees, with the purpose of shortening the wait period for students who set appointments with mental health offices.
Finally, Waddoups would also like to revamp the USU events app, campaigning and working with IT specialists to improve the app for students.
“There’s a difference between a platform and a wish list,” she said. “I don’t think I have to reinvent the wheel to make this university great.”
Steve Wilcox is a senior majoring in international business and marketing. He enjoys hanging out with friends and living a normal college student life. Wilcox has a list of things he loves about USU, but his top three reasons are the opportunities Utah State has given him, the friendly student body on campus and the wonderful advisors and faculty.
Wilcox is currently serving as president over President’s Ambassadors, the Business Council president and the USUSA President’s cabinet director.
“I absolutely the student body, I absolutely love this university. I’ve been able work with wonderful leaders throughout the university and they have impacted my life for the better,” Wilcox said.
He has three platform goals to focus on in the coming year. One is encouraging awareness of the mental illness campaign. Wilcox wants to make QPR training for students so they can help each other. QPR training helps an average person know how to appropriately respond to someone who comes to them for help with mental or emotional concerns.
“I really want to help educate the student body. We all know that mental illness is a concern,” Wilcox said. “Now what are we going to do about it?”
Wilcox also wants to run campaigns to educate the students concerning finances, such as informing them about financial aid, work study, scholarship and FAFSA deadlines. He also wants to initiate a platform called “engaging your passions.”
“It’s all about bringing together the opportunities that USU offers its students and the student body itself and bring them closer together,” Wilcox said.
He never imagined he would be running for student body president, but Wilcox said he is ready to serve and work with the many students and faculty on campus. The first word that comes to mind when he thinks of being student body president is the chance to serve.
“The best part of being elected to this office is working with the best of the best student body found in the entire nation, guaranteed,” Wilcox said. “I feel myself like an average student and I know everyone else feels that way as well, and I want everybody feels like they are included in this big Aggie family.”
Executive VP:
Ryan Bentall is a junior majoring in international business finance. Originally from New Hampshire, he first heard of Utah State when USU graduates moved to his town and encouraged him to look into the school. Bentall enjoys playing sports like basketball and soccer on campus.
His favorite aspect of USU is the atmosphere at the sporting events and how involved all the students are on campus.
“Students are the ones who would be electing me, so my job as an appointed officer is to represent them,” Bentall said.
He has many focused goals of what he wants to emphasize during his campaign. The first issue he wants to address is raising awareness for mental health, calling it “a widespread problem that sometimes people don’t see.” Bentall wants to focus on providing insightful training for students, not only hiring professional help. He would also like to continue raising awareness and combating the problem of sexual assault on campus.
Another goal is to increase the number of student participants at the annual USU fee board. Bentall said this was a goal because with more students involved in fee board, the better understanding officials would have of student’s opinions.
Cheaper alternatives for textbooks is another goal of Bentall’s campaign. He wants to keep working with library faculty to find open possibilities for all levels of classes.
“Here on campus, one vote makes a huge difference,” Bentall said. “They’re not just voting for a person, they’re voting for the direction they want the university to go while they’re here at college.”
When Bentall hears stories from his friends on other campuses around the nation, he appreciates the opportunities provided to him at Utah State.
“I think the best part about it is being able to work with so many diverse individuals,” he said.
Maegan Kasteler is a senior majoring in communications and religious studies and is running for Executive Vice President because “I literally love nothing more than being an Aggie,” she said. She has spent a lot of time during her collegiate years in student involvement and has had the chance to learn a lot about her platform: open educational resources, which means free online textbooks for students.
“I’ve grown a passion for that as much as I’ve grown a passion for being an Aggie,” Kasteler said. “I want to share that passion with students, to hopefully better the lives of current students as well as future students.”
Other specific plans Kasteler would hope to do in office include creating an open dialogue between faculty and students, educating all on open educational resources. and how they can benefit in the classroom. She also wants to file a Blue Goes Green grant to purchase e-readers that look like paper and donate them to the library for student use, to access textbooks without an LED screen.
Kasteler hopes for students to try to understand the platform and ideas she and others are running on, to make the best decisions for them.
“I really encourage people to be informed, to understand people’s ideas and platforms. I think a lot of candidates every year run on the same ideas that are kind of hard to accomplish, and I think students should be informed so they can hold their officers accountable,” she said.
And it all comes back to her love for USU.
“I just love being a part of the Aggie family,” Kasteler said. “I love the spirit, I love the traditions, I love the atmosphere, I love the students. I really think that the Aggie family is a very unique thing.”
Jordan Lowe is a junior majoring in sociology. He loves music and can often be found playing his guitar in his free time. Lowe loves the atmosphere of Aggie Athletics, and his hobbies include playing flag football or with the USU Intramural basketball, six feet and under league.
“My favorite part about Utah State is that no one really cares where you come from or who you’re friends are. For the most part, everyone is accepting of everybody else,” Lowe said.
He considered running for athletics VP, but dismissed the idea. Knowing he would be less busy next year, at the last minute he decided to run for the executive VP.
“It came down to I love being involved,” Lowe said.
Without bringing any huge changes into his campaign, Lowe is content to continue supporting current officer’s ideas. Examples include continuing to increase awareness of mental health and finalizing online education resources.
“I don’t want to change anything,” he said. “I just want to come in and work hard.”
One idea Lowe does want to advocate is for more students to participate on the fee board next year as students-at-large. Instead of drawing a small sample from a small number of applicants, he said, it would be beneficial to draw a small sample from a large number of students interested in voicing their opinions about funding and fees. Helping students to be their own voice is also part of his idea for raising awareness of the USUSA suggestion hotline, MyVoice.
“Too many people don’t think their opinions matter, and that’s sad to me. I want people to know that their voice counts for something,” Lowe said. “I can be a voice for people. Sure, why not?”
Student Advocate VP:
Matthew Clewett is a sophomore transfer student majoring in law and constitutional studies. He is running for Student Advocate VP because “from a very early age, I’ve had a passion for helping people and helping students in particular,” he said.
Clewett has been lobbying for students and people his age in legislature since high school. He was also a member of student government at his previous college, working as treasurer to manage the budget and provide programming and lobbying for students there.
“I love the student body here and what Utah State has provided for me,” Clewett said, who currently serves as the assistant director of the Government Relations Council, and a member of the President’s Cabinet.
Clewett has four main pillars he is running on: to promote transparency, increase awareness, engage the student body and to better the Government Relations Council.
“I want to help spread awareness of what the USUSA does. I want to help spread awareness on the different organizations the USUSA oversees, and I really want to fight for transparency,” Clewett said.
He wants to create a website revolving around student fees, so students will not only see the fees they are paying, but to see potential new fees while the Student Fee Board is meeting and discussing those each year, as well as a link to MyVoice, for students to voice any concerns about fees they have.
Clewett wants to work with student media and others on campus to better share what the GRC does for students, and what other organizations USUSA oversees do.
“I’m a firm believer that the more involved you are as a student, the more successful you will be,” Clewett said. “That is why I want to work on promoting and advocating for clubs and organizations on campus.”
Clewett loves the opportunities that USU provides, and has noticed that everybody he walks by on campus will smile and say hello. “That’s what I love about being an Aggie, I love the community here and the people,” he said.
Brenna Kelly is a sophomore majoring in journalism with an emphasis in PR. The first time she went to the USU home web page, she saw the pictures of students at activities and fell in love with the Logan campus. She’s been working with student media since her first week at Utah State. Kelly has been the news director at Aggie Radio and is currently the senior news writer at the Statesman.
“I’m running because I want to do things about student issues,” Kelly said. “This job is to give a voice to the voiceless and to advocate for students and their rights, and I take that seriously.”
Kelly stated all her goals and initiatives fit under three aims: engagement, long term solutions and transparency. She said she has many goals and ideas for the student advocate office, but wants to leave herself open to student needs and ideas.
“I want to listen to students and know what their concerns are,” Kelly said. “I want to leave Utah State better than I found it. I really care about helping students and making lasting solutions.”
Addressing housing concerns is one of Kelly’s top priorities. She plans on creating a housing website where students can collectively view all housing options in Logan, and sell or trade contracts with other students.
Kelly would also like to create a MyVoice think tank. MyVoice is an online suggestion hotline where students can send complaints, comments or suggestions to current USUSA officers about issues they would like to be addressed. Kelly would organize a committee of students to consider serious student issues brought up by MyVoice submissions.
“I’m hoping that I can reach as many students as possible and help them,” Kelly said. “I’m going to take the initiative to make real improvements and I’m going to listen to students and advocate for them.”
Her favorite part about Utah State is the students. Kelly loves to meet new people and said she’s never met anyone who wasn’t interesting.
“I just can’t wait to start working for students. As student advocate, it would be my fulltime job to serve students and I would love that,” Kelly said.
Athletics and Campus Recreation VP:
Felicia Gallegos is a senior majoring in social work, and is running for Athletics and Campus Recreation VP because she loves “Utah State more anything.” She is currently the activities director for the programming office in USUSA, and she loves “doing things that make a difference for students… and I’m obsessed with USU athletics and our athletes.”
Though there are a lot of places Gallegos believes athletics excels at, there are places she wants to see changes made, as well.
“I want to actually impact the change in Athletics,” Gallegos said, “And, of course, I love cheering at games, so that’s a plus, being at every single game all the time.”
She hopes to improve involvement, as well as attendance at the athletic and campus recreation events, specifically through creative event planning for events. She also wants to create more of a connection between athletes and students by having both involved in events, and have chances to get to know and interact with each other.
Specifically with campus recreation, she hopes to develop an app which can inform students about resources they have available at certain times, like how many people may be using the ARC at a time or fitness classes they can attend.
Using social media to let students — and athletes, who were sometimes so busy they can’t make voting a priority — know about voting, and links to learn about all candidates and times of debates is important to get voter involvement, Gallegos said.
And all of it ties into students having passion for being Aggies, like Gallegos, whose favorite thing about being at USU is “that Aggie family feeling that you have when you come on campus… the thing about Utah State is that it’s a safe, supportive environment, where everybody’s there for each other. It’s that Aggie family, that Aggie feeling and we all bleed blue,” she said.
Blake Lyman is a junior majoring in economics and political science, and is running for Athletics and Campus Recreation VP because “I have a strong passion for Aggie athletics and the benefits overall that athletics and campus rec can bring to the campus. I’ve been a lifelong Aggie fan, and it’s helped shape who I am and I want to give back,” he said.
Lyman believes he has the plans and the platform to help athletics, especially in the ways that it has struggled more this year, specifically in the two main sports: football and basketball.
“But we’ve had a lot of things going on, and I know next year we can do a lot of good things,” Lyman said.
He wants to focus on getting students to games, getting into market research about why students aren’t going to games and then plan ways to get students “from all walks of life, all varieties” out to games.
“Especially activities before, during and after games are going to be a big thing,” Lyman said. “Working with different organizations on campus, different clubs, RHA, Greeks, there are a lot of people already involved with something else, and if we can find a way to make that group attend a hockey game or a football game or hockey game, we can get a better turnout.”
He wants to find ways to positively influence the spirit around sports and games.
“I want it to be ‘Tonight’s a game, I don’t care if I have three tests tomorrow, I gotta go to this game,’ cause that’s what we do. We’re Aggies and that’s what we do. Instilling an Aggie fever on campus, that’s what I want to do,” Lyman said.
He also hopes to better utilize the HURD awards program, in which students can go to games and gain points to get prizes. Lyman wants to develop an app to help students participate in the program, and has started communications with the athletics department on giving big things to students: trips to tournaments, or even a scholarship for the student with the most points.
Overall, being an Aggie should feel rewarding to students, and Lyman hopes to share that.
“A cheesy line I always say is that USU is like Olive Garden: when you’re here, you’re family,” Lyman said. “I have felt such a sense of community up here, I have felt so loved and felt part of something bigger here. Being an Aggie is being home for me.”
Nolan Wilcock is a senior double-majoring in exercise science and parks and recreation. He is currently a member of USU’s Spirit Squad and is running for VP of Athletics and Campus Recreation because he bleeds blue and loves the athletes at USU.
“We have a ton of really great athletes at our campus, but I think one thing people tend to forget is that we have a lot of great women athletes on our campus and so I really want to see the attendance at those sports go up, 10 to 15 percent,” Wilcock said. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to raise the attendance at those across the board.”
His plans revolve around getting the students informed about athletics on campus.
“I want to see our student section be more cohesive, be more informed… increase the gameday experience by having us be loud, proud, organized, ridiculous,” Wilcock said.
He also hopes to get more students informed about USUSA and voting and what his and the other positions are for.
“I think everyone should look into this, everyone pays student fees and it affects all of them, so everyone should have a vested interest.
He can’t pick out one favorite thing “I’ve made my best friends in the whole wide world, joined a lot of organizations I’m passionate about… you have the ability here to make it whatever you want it to be… Go Aggies!”
Programming VP:
Ryan Jensen is a junior majoring in global communications. He served as student body president at Grantsville high school. An odd hobby that helps him relax brings out what Jensen calls “an artsy side.” He enjoys refurbishing old furniture and antiques. His latest project is recreating his grandpa’s old army camera tripod into a lamp.
Currently Jensen works as the volunteer coordinator at the USUSA programming office, and being behind the scenes of the office encouraged him to run for office. As a freshman, he didn’t attend many campus activities, but he said he enjoys volunteering and participating in all different events.
“The most rewarding part is seeing people enjoy the activities. I like seeing people enjoy it and volunteers as well,” he said. “And seeing the event come off successfully is the second most rewarding thing.”
One goal he wants to focus on is the Blue Crew and making the committee more of a structured council, with more diverse students being involved. Another goal includes working together with the upcoming student alumni position in USUSA executive council.
“I think a lot of students are looking for new and exciting events,” Jensen said. “A lot of things seem to appeal to freshmen just because it’s new, but I want to retain upper classmen so they still come and volunteer at events.”
Jensen wants students feel encouraged to individually to raise their voices on issues happening on campus. He also wants to focus on increasing student participation and attendance at campus events.
“I want students to always feel they can come and voice their opinion and ask how to get involved,” Jensen said. “I don’t want them to sit in silence. I want to feel they can come and voice their opinions to us.”
Organizations & Campus Diversity VP:
Luis Armenta is a senior majoring in communications with a minor in business. He served as Clubs and Diversity VP this past year. Armenta enjoys playing soccer and previously played on the USU men’s soccer team. Recently married last August, he and his wife love to try new food at local restaurants. “Hands down,” his favorite place to eat is at Mo’ Bettah’s Hawaiian style restaurant.
“What really brought me to Utah State is the atmosphere and the students,” Armenta said. “There’s something different about Logan and Utah State. It seems to recruit cool people.”
Armenta has three main goals he wants to achieve if elected. One goal includes continuing to support the Diversity Cabinet. In past years, leaders in the Clubs and Diversity VP position have worked hard to balance the roles of managing clubs and diversity, according to Armenta. To improve this balance, Armenta formed the Diversity Cabinet, an organization with representatives from major leadership groups on campus, including Access and Diversity, Ambassadors, Greeks, Global Engagement and many more. Next year Armenta hopes to continue to unite the diverse groups on campus.
“I know I can make a difference. I know the position, I love what I do,” Armenta said. “I feel where I can be most effective on campus is in this position and helping my fellow students.”
Armenta is also currently working with USUSA public relations and marketing to begin a social media campaign for campus clubs. He wants to create an online hub for clubs to recruit and collaborate with each other and with students. As a final goal, Armenta wants to work on uniting the university as a whole.
“That’s what I love about leadership, you can make a positive impact,” he said. ”I wouldn’t be doing this again if I didn’t love it.”
When campaigning, Armenta wants to create fun and engaging ways to encourage students to vote for him, drawing in students from all walks of life.
“I’m not perfect at this position by any means, but I do know this position. I care about the students, and I love what I do,” he said.
Chewy Garcia is a junior majoring in social work and he believes “it’s important that students get to know of the diversity and what it has to offer to Utah State,” Garcia said. “I’ve been with the Access and Diversity Center for over four years now actively involved with them and I know there’s a lot of potential. I want to advocate for all the clubs and all the organizations and really just bring it up and make it more visible for all students to see what we have.”
One of Garcia’s main goals is to start a diversity mentorship program, to help retain, not just bring, diversity to USU, so that it can flourish on campus.
“With diversity, I think it brings a lot of leadership opportunities, so I want to make everything more visible and accessible, specifically the Access and Diversity Center and the International Office,” Garcia said. “I want to show that these are the diverse clubs, you can get help or mentorship or whatever you need.”
He would also like to bring back some more funds in regards to the mentorship and leadership opportunities.
Garcia has been actively involved with lots of organizations and people, and wants to advocate for them and the things they want and believe are important. He sees himself as someone who has worked his way up and hopes to use the clubs and strong connections he has made to spread the word about voting, about informing students.
“I’m not just a face, I’m somebody who has been with them, who has basically been one of them, and so I feel like they can advocate in my part,” Garcia said.
His favorite thing about being an Aggie is the outdoors, especially being able to mountain bike and fish, and that he can “get done with classes and it’s basically at our backdoor… There’s always something to do,” he said.
Marcos Garcia is a senior majoring in Biology, and he is running because he believes people should “be the change you wish to see in the world,” he said.
He is currently on the new Diversity Cabinet and he believes he can help put a lot of the ideas from the cabinet into action at USU.
“My biggest push is just to increase student involvement overall. I’m just trying to make it as easy as possible for students to join clubs and start new ones,” Garcia said. “I just want to get people who are either to scared to be involved, or just haven’t taken that extra step, I want to make it easier for them to take that extra step to be involved.”
He believes a lot of things have been done for the Access and Diversity Center this year, and he wants to focus again on the student-led clubs and organizations, and push forward what has been done on the diversity side.
Working on the webpage for clubs — specifically the clubs portal for students — is something he hopes to work on and improve, so that students know where to go to learn about all clubs and organizations they have access to, and to increase communication among clubs and students.
“There’s so much this (position) encompasses, this is organizations and campus diversity, and normally somebody focuses on either organizations or campus diversity, so honestly I would like to possibly split the position, I’m not just running on that, but it’s a goal of my own,” Garcia said.
Going to students personally and talking about elections, voting and what it means for students is something Garcia has seen other candidates doing, and hopes to implement as well.
“I’m kind of aiming toward students who aren’t necessarily involved,” he said. “I think talking to random students, whether it be a conversation on the bus or just somebody in your class you haven’t seen before.”
And his favorite thing about being an Aggie is how easy it is to get involved, and that the third floor of the TSC and student involvement is so accessible to all students.
Grecia Jimenez is a senior double-majoring in human development and Spanish. She’s a first generation student in her family and has been at USU since 2011. Jimenez currently works at the Access and Diversity center. She’s always thought about running for office, but decided she was too busy until this year.
“I’ve seen people come and go in this position, and I’ve seen all the different ways they’ve handled their job responsibilities,” Jimenez said. “I would love the chance to be able to make my mark.”
Her favorite pastime is catching up with friends and hanging out with family. When the weather is warm, Jimenez loves spontaneously going to Bear Lake. She also enjoys staying busy with all the opportunities available at Utah State.
Jimenez credits her success at USU to the faculty, staff, friends and family who have supported her. Without them, she claims, she doesn’t know if she’d still be here.
Her appreciation for the support she’s received motivates her goals for office. A main focus is bridging the gap between campus clubs and diversity clubs. In the past, Jimenez has sometimes seen a separation between diversity clubs and other clubs.
“I want these clubs to use each other as a beneficial resource,” she said.
Jimenez also wants to enhance the existing events on campus instead of creating new events. She believes increasing student awareness and encouraging them to participate in events will continue to help unite students of all backgrounds. She also plans to redefine what diversity means at USU.
“Diversity means something that is different from your own. You are just as diverse as I am,” she said. “Everyone is diverse, and I feel like the more people that believe that, the more people will feel comfortable exploring each other’s territory.”
Jimenez’s favorite part about USU are the many opportunities students are given to participate and lead in the university.
“I’m going to do my best and give it my all,” she said.
Service Vice President:
Todd Brown, a junior majoring in exercise science, wants to serve as Service VP because service has always been a part of his life.
“While I’ve been here at USU this last year I’ve been involved with Best Buddies, Special Olympics, helping out with the tying blankets or helping out with various things with the service center,” Brown said, “And I’ve come to really love the people I’ve been working with as students and also the people I’ve been serving… I want to help students become who they want to be, because I believe service gets you from where to you are now to where you want to be.”
One of his biggest plans for the Val R. Christensen Service Center would be to get every student on campus to somehow participate in something with the know about the center and what resources and clubs are there.
He also plans to work with the Greek community on coordinating service they do with their philanthropies, as well as get them involved with service done through the service center, as well as service in the community.
Lastly, he hopes to keep up “the good vibe” in the service center, and keep up the friendly environment, “so that everyone feels welcome when they come in,” Brown said.
That ties into how he feels about USU as a whole.
He loves the atmosphere at the university, and “the energy that we have. Once you become an Aggie, that’s what you are for life,” he said.
Stratt Caputo is a senior majoring in psychology and world religions. A Logan native, he loves that Utah State is such a part of the Logan community. Caputo works with special needs adults in the community at the Developmental Skills lab on campus, helping create therapies and behavior programs.
Caputo helped run the first annual Inclusion Prom held this year. He has been with Best Buddies over nine years and currently serves as the director. Best Buddies is a worldwide organization with a chapter on campus that pairs student volunteers with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. He has also helped with the Special Olympics and won the presidential service award.
“I’ve seen the difference people can make and what difference I can make,” Stratt said. “I feel like I can make a huge difference for students and the community.”
He wants to expand awareness of the opportunities available through the USUSA service center. He has worked with Common Ground and the Developmental Skills lab, providing chances for students to volunteer with special needs adults.
“I want to create an opportunity for students to give back,” Caputo said.
Caputo wants to encourage participation at the Best Buddies chapter on campus, as well as help people discover their passions, especially along the lines of service. If people are in the service center, he stated, it’s because they are passionate.
Communication is also one of Caputo’s goals, making sure students know what opportunities are available.
“Finding different people’s passions and what they love to do is a cool experience,” he said.
Chandra Marsh is a junior majoring in nutrition science who has developed a passion for service through involvement in the service center for over three years.
“I plan on relaunching the Campus Service Steering Committee, a campus-wide committee with a goal to create unity of service events on campus. This would involve the Service VP and a representative from various organizations on campus, who would then collaborate on a initiative for the year,” Marsh said.
She would also like to improve the service center calendar by incorporating service events from more organizations on campus.
“I want more students to be informed of the opportunities that USU provides, and give them more of a chance to take advantage of those opportunities,” Marsh said.
She believes that informing students about elections will help them have more motivation to vote, seeing how elections can impact their USU experience.
“I also talk to as many students as I can while on campus, inform them of my ideas and encourage them to talk to other candidates,” she said.
And her favorite thing as an Aggie?
“I really love how easy it is to get involved here at USU,” she said.
Hope Newman is a freshman majoring in dietetics, and is running for Service VP because of her service-oriented involvement through high school government experience and on city youth councils.
“I feel that service is the best way that we can truly come to know ourselves and give back to the people we owe so much to,” Newman said.
She hopes to increase awareness about what the Val R. Christensen Service Center does, and each of the 19 organizations that it entails.
“They all have different issue areas that I believe could extend to any variety of interests students have, whether it be health or the environment,” Newman said. “I just feel like it would be a big deal if we could educate people and get people involved more.
In regards to working with the other officers towards change, Newman believes that each person this involved is a person wanting to give back to the community and be lifelong leaders.
“I’m excited to work with them if I win. I’m excited to be involved with what they are working on, and get them involved in what we are working on, because we’re working towards the same goal,” she said.
Newman plans to work with students all over campus to raise awareness of what the service center and USUSA are doing, and hopes to get more students involved in what happens in the center.
“I want to give back to Utah State, I feel like this is a great place where people are able to find themselves and discover what they love,” she said.
Here favorite thing about being an Aggie is the tradition.
“It’s just cool participating in these traditions that my mom participated in — she was an Aggie — that so many people, generations back, came up with,” Newman said.
Student Alumni Association VP:
Jamie Crandal is a junior majoring in international business, and law and constitutional studies and has been involved with the Student Alumni Association for three years. She wants to help with SAA’s currently opportunity to expand, as SAA president becomes a part of USUSA executive council.
“The main reason I am running is that I want the Student Alumni Association to fulfill the needs of the students on campus, in order for them to see what their university can do for them before they graduate and after they graduate, as well,” Crandal said. “SAA has three different branches and they are all way under-utilized by the population of this campus.”
SAA is the only other organization besides USUSA that encompasses all students on campus automatically, which is one of the reasons to bring them together, Crandal said. “Anyone and everyone can be a part of Student Alumni Association without a fee. So my goal is to show students what SAA can do for them.”
In regards to the Students Giving branch of SAA, Crandal make student giving go further into student-to-student giving, possibly including a scholarship given to students and funded by students, or a project to help crowd-fund students’ projects and ideas. “It’s to help students fund other students,” Crandal said
With the Networking branch, Crandal wants to create certification programs, giving students more opportunities to pay a small fee to become certified in things like CPR and first aid. She also wants to increase attendance at AlumNights, where students can meet with alumni for a discussion about their own success, as well as increasing attendance at all SAA events.
“I want students to understand the value that comes with the Student Alumni Association,” Crandal said. “That can be a two-fold thing for students to see why USUSA is important and why they should vote for the new president, but also why they should vote, period.”
She has already begun emailing student organizations and groups on campus to encourage voting and becoming informed about the positions, and why SAA is important to every student.
Her favorite thing about being an Aggie?
“The community feel of this campus,” Crandal said. “One of the most memorable college experiences I have is working with the SAA on the Homecoming parade and staring down Main Street and seeing crowds of people lined up to support this campus and it’s students. It was probably the highlight of my freshman year, and it is that community feel that makes me love being an Aggie.”
Rachael Fresh is a junior majoring in communications, is currently the social media director for SAA and believes she finally found her home in student involvement, after getting involved in so much at USU, when she joined SAA.
“I volunteered for all the events, with Traditions and I got to know Networking,” Fresh said. “It wasn’t until I got more and more involved with SAA that I realized that I wanted to help run this organization and make positive change for the organization.”
The first thing Fresh would do in office would be to pick “the right people” as directors in SAA, because she believes it isn’t all about what she would do for the organization.
“The biggest thing as president is that you’re not in charge all the time, you’re just the person to be that rock, to be the support and to be the guider” as president, Fresh said. “We want really passionate, hardworking people to be vice presidents and directors. When you have a good foundation, then you can start making people’s lives better.”
She also hopes to work with USUSA and develop a new group of volunteers to work on both SAA and USUSA events together, and to help work on traditions on both sides.
Fresh would also like to continue growing AlumNights and the Female Mentorship Program through SAA, in regards to networking.
“I think the biggest thing we can do to help networking is to work with the colleges and by reaching kids their college’s week or whenever, and at those nights we can also say that we have AlumNights and Female Mentoring. So if we build college networking now, it will build our other programs,” Fresh said.
Fresh hopes to work on the programs and resources now available to students, and not worry about making big changes.
She also hopes to build personal relationships with students as she shares about voting, being informed and why USUSA positions are important.
“You can’t make someone vote or care, but if you give them the opportunity to learn from you, as a person, it’s a bigger deal than anything else,” she said. “It’s about being someone they can come to and trust and know, that’s a big thing.”
She also hopes students will get to know her and her ideas for office during campaigning.
“I’ve worked really hard to get where I am today. I live on the third floor and I live on this campus and it’s because I love it,” Fresh said. “It wasn’t until I was out there making a difference and I felt happy and I was doing what I loved… I feel this is so right for me, because I have worked so hard… to build these relationships and to find my dream, and I know this is my dream and I know I’m the best candidate for this.”
— mandy.m.morgan@aggiemail.usu.edu
— ashley.ruth.stilson@aggiemail.usu.edu